Homemade Classic Bagels with Sesame or Poppy Seeds Recipe
Homemade bagels are chewy, golden, and freshly baked bread rings made from a simple dough of flour, yeast, and water. These bagels are boiled briefly before baking to achieve their signature dense texture and glossy crust. Topped optionally with sesame or poppy seeds, they make a perfect breakfast or snack.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 bagels 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
Topping and Finish
- 1 egg (for egg wash)
- Sesame seeds (optional)
- Poppy seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, stir together 4 cups of flour, sugar, and salt until evenly mixed.
- Activate Yeast: In a small bowl, dissolve 1 tablespoon of active dry yeast in 1 1/2 cups warm water and let it sit for 5 minutes until frothy.
- Mix Dough: Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour in the yeast mixture, add vegetable oil and honey, then mix until a rough dough forms.
- Knead Dough: Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- First Rise: Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until doubled in size.
- Shape Bagels: Punch down dough, divide into 8 pieces, roll each into a ball, poke a hole through center, and stretch into rings.
- Second Rise: Place bagels on greased baking sheet, cover, and let rise 20 minutes.
- Boil Bagels: Bring water to a boil, reduce to simmer, boil bagels 1-2 minutes per side, then remove and return to baking sheet.
- Preheat Oven: Heat oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Egg Wash and Toppings: Beat egg, brush over bagels, and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds if desired.
- Bake: Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
- Cool and Serve: Remove from oven, cool on wire rack, then serve fresh.
Notes
- Boiling the bagels before baking is crucial to achieve their characteristic chewy texture and shiny crust.
- Use room temperature water to activate yeast properly.
- You can experiment with different toppings such as everything bagel seasoning or omit seeds for plain bagels.
- Ensure the holes in the bagels are large enough as they will shrink during baking.
- For softer bagels, brush with melted butter after baking while still warm.
Keywords: Homemade bagels, bagel recipe, chewy bagels, boiled bagels, baking bread
