Make your favorite New York style bagels at home with this delicious and easy to follow recipe! Add your favorite toppings or mix-ins to create your dream bagel.
I love having a fresh, warm bagel in the morning. There's something about it that makes the day so much brighter. Of course it is so much easier to go to the store and buy a bagel, but it won't be as fun. Plus, you can control exactly what is in your bagel. Not to mention it's cheaper!
You are going to love this New York style bagel recipe because it is very simple to do and is very forgiving should you happen to make any mistakes. You are also completely in control of what goes into each bagel. The hardest part of the process (at least it was the hardest for me) was making the balls of dough perfectly round. In the end I realized that I like my bagels with a bit of character and a perfectly circular bagel wasn't going to taste any better.
If you want to add toppings, you have to do an egg wash so they will stick. (You don't have to use a wash if you aren't putting on toppings) My favorite toppings are sesame seeds and poppy seeds, so that is what I decided to use in this recipe here. For whole wheat New York style bagels, you can substitute half the bread flour with the whole wheat. I have not tried making the recipe with just the whole wheat flour, so if you do try it, let me know how it turns out!
Things that go great with fresh New York style bagels:
- Jam
- Cream cheese
- Butter
- Lox
- Peanut butter
- Eggs and cheese
- Absolutely everything!
Don't have time to make New York Style Bagels now? Pin it for later!
Recipe Card
New York Style Bagels Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups 455 g bread flour, plus extra for kneading
- 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 ½ tablespoons sugar
- 1 ¼ cup 296 mL very warm water
- 2 - 3 tablespoons oil I use olive oil
- 1 egg plus 1 tablespoon cold water for the egg wash optional
Instructions
- Mix the flour and sea salt in a medium sized bowl.
- Take the active dry yeast and sugar and place in a smaller bowl. Add half the warm water and leave it for five minutes without stirring. Once it's been proofed, mixed the yeast/sugar mixture until completely dissolved.
- Dig a well in the flour and pour in the yeast mixture as well as the rest of the water. Mix the mixture until a round dough forms. The dough should be firm and moist, but not too sticky.
- Flour your counter-top and knead the dough for about 5 - 10 minutes, adding more flour as you go along until you have a firm dough.
- Oil a large bowl and coat the outside of the dough with the oil.
- Moisten a tea towel and place over the bowl, letting the dough rise in a warm place for one hour.
- Deflate the dough by punching it down and allow it to rise again for another 10 minutes.
- Cut the dough into 8 pieces. They do not have to be exact, but as near in size as you can get it.
- Take each piece and form it into ball. Take one and roll it between your hand and your counter until it forms a ball shape. Repeat this for the 7 remaining pieces.
- Dip your finger in flour and poke a hole straight through the middle of each dough ball. stretch out the hole until it is about half the size of the ball.
- Lightly oil a baking sheet and place each of the bagels on the sheet and cover with your tea towel. Allow the dough to rise for 10 minutes.
- Boil a pot of water then turn down the heat so the water is at a soft rumble. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Put as many bagels in the pot as you feel comfortable and allow it to boil for 1 -2 minutes. Turn the bagel around and boil for another 1 - 2 minutes.
- Place the bagels back on the baking sheet. If you are adding toppings, add an egg wash to the tops and then add your toppings.
- Bake in the oven for about 18 - 20 minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack.
Linda says
How do I use Instant yeast instead?
Just skip the 5 minute soaking?
Amanda says
Yes, you can skip the 5 minute proofing and start mixing it all together!
Linda says
Thank You! Same quantity and use the water and sugar? Sorry first time bread baker here! My daughter read a book in her class about Jalapeno Bagels and now here we are!
BTW My husband and I meet on Eharmony in 2004! Married in 2005! Two great kids and I was almost 37!
Amanda says
Yes, keep the quantities the same! I'm so glad to hear your success story with eharmony! I will have to look into it when I am ready for a relationship!
Lindsay says
These look great! Question: my son is allergic to eggs. Do you think olive oil could be brushed on these instead of egg?
Amanda says
You could use olive oil, but it will impart that flavor onto the bagels. You can also use plain water, milk, or any other oil such as avocado or even vegetable oil!
colette says
Your blog is making me so hungry!! Everything looks amazing. I am a horrible baker, but I am addicted to bagels so I might just have to try this one. Stopping by from #sitsblogger