Kozy Kitchen and Home

Why I Bake My Own Bagels — And You Should Too!

If you walked into my kitchen on any given morning, and caught the warm, yeasty aroma of fresh bagels wafting from the oven, you’d be hooked. Bagels have taken a special place in our family’s heart—so much so that we rarely buy them from the store anymore. It all started when I decided to try making a batch from scratch. After the very first one, my husband said we should never buy pre-packaged store-bought bagels again! That’s when I knew we’d discovered something special.

What sets homemade bagels apart? For starters, it’s all about texture and flavor. These bagels have the perfect chewy inside and a beautifully crispy crust, especially when you toast them. There’s something incredibly satisfying about spreading cream cheese onto a warm, freshly baked bagel, knowing you made it yourself.

The best part about this recipe is its versatility. Personally, I can’t resist a good onion bagel. By making them at home, I can add onion powder right into the dough, infusing every bite with bold, savory flavor before topping them with toasty onion bits.  However, if onion bagels aren’t your thing, you can keep it simple with plain bagels, or get creative with your favorite toppings—think classic sesame, fragrant garlic, or nutty poppy seeds. And if you can’t choose just one, why not make a batch of everything bagels?

Homemade bagels are a fun project for bakers of all levels, and they’re guaranteed to impress family and friends.

Ingredients

• 2 ¼ teaspoons of instant yeast (1 packet)
• 4 tsp of sugar
• 1 ½ tsp of salt
• 3 ½ cups of flour
• 1 ¼ cup of warm water (between 105 and 115 degrees)
• 2 tsp onion powder (omit if not making onion flavored bagels)
• Dried chopped onion (or your favorite toppings)

Step by Step instructions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl if doing by hand, add all the ingredients and mix with a spoon until you get a shaggy looking dough. (Omit the onion powder if you are making any other flavors.)
3. Using the dough hook on your mixer, knead on low for about 5 minutes, or knead by hand for 7 to 10 minutes. Add flour, a little at a time, if necessary as kneading. If the dough feels too sticky after a few minutes of kneading, add flour one tablespoon at a time until it becomes soft and manageable. Avoid adding too much flour, as this can make the bagels dense. The dough should be soft, smooth and stretchy but not sticky. It’s okay if it’s a little tacky, but it should be easy to handle.
4. Lightly grease the bowl and the dough and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to an hour.
5. Punch the dough down and split into 8 evenly sized pieces. I use a kitchen scale to weigh them, but it’s not necessary if you don’t have one.

6. Take each section of dough and stretch, pull and pinch it into a smooth round ball. Lightly roll it around on the counter for a minute until any creases are gone and it is smooth all the way around. Repeat with all eight pieces of dough.
7. Lightly flour your finger and press it through the center of each ball to create a hole. Gently stretch the hole to about one inch in diameter, ensuring the rest of the bagel is even around.
8. Place the bagel shapes on the prepared baking sheet and cover with a damp towel or more plastic wrap. Let them rest for about 20 minutes.
9. While they are resting, bring a large pot of water to a boil. It doesn’t have to be deep, only three or four inches or so. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

10. When the water is boiling, turn the heat down to low.  Trying not to handle them too much (I use a spatula to lift them), gently add as many bagels as you can to the water. Boil the bagels in batches, making sure they have enough space to float freely without touching each other. Cook the bagels in the water for 1 ½ minutes on each side and then remove them and place back on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the top with dried chopped onion (or your favorite toppings) while they are still wet. Repeat with all the bagels.
11. Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.
12. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before storing.

Tips & Serving Suggestions

• These are awesome toasted with a generous slathering of cream cheese.
• They also make excellent bacon, egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches.
• Try making mini bagels for snacks or parties!

I like to make a double batch to keep in the freezer so we always have some handy! I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.