This easy everything bagel recipe is your ticket to making delicious bagels at home. You'll never need another recipe for everything bagels!
There's something special about biting into a chewy New York-style bagel, coated with flavorful flakes and seeds. I grew up in New Jersey and often visited my grandma in New York City.
It didn't take long for me to find my perfect bagel. I'll take an everything bagel with cream cheese, fresh tomato, red onion, and lox.
These bagels are better than any local bagel shop near me. Plus, there's a certain satisfaction that comes with crafting your very own batch.
So, whether you're a fan of classic plain bagels, sesame seed bagels or you like to load up on toppings, these homemade everything bagels are bound to become one of your favorite recipes.
My sourdough discard bagel recipe is one of the most popular recipes on my blog and it's the reason people in my neighborhood started calling me the "bagel lady" (true story)!
Why You'll Love Homemade Bagels
- You'll never want to buy store-bought bagels again after enjoying fresh bagels straight from your oven.
- They make fantastic bases for sandwiches, like the classic "everything on a bagel," or even as a crispy accompaniment to avocado toast.
- You can easily make this breakfast staple using simple ingredients you can find at your grocery store.
If you love the flavor of everything seasoning, you have to try this Everything Bagel Cashews Recipe!
Recipe Ingredients
You'll need the following ingredients to make the best everything bagel recipe. If you are missing an ingredient check out the substitutions list.
Unbleached Bread Flour provides structure and chewiness to the bagel, giving it that classic dense texture.
Instant Yeast leavens the dough.
Kosher Salt enhances flavor and strengthens the gluten network in the dough for a better texture.
White Granulated Sugar feeds the yeast.
Water hydrates the ingredients and activates the yeast.
Everything Bagel Seasoning adds a burst of flavor and texture with its mix of seeds, flakes, and salt, creating the signature taste of an everything bagel.
Substitutions
- Yeast: If you don't have instant yeast, you can use active dry yeast as a substitute. Use the same quantity, but proof the yeast in the warm water before adding the other ingredients.
- Flour: If you're out of bread flour, all-purpose flour can be used as a replacement, though it may result in a slightly different texture.
- Sugar: You can substitute honey or brown sugar for white granulated sugar in the bagel dough.
- Salt: Regular table salt or sea salt an be used in place the kosher salt. Just use a tiny pinch less.
- Make your own everything bagel seasoning using the following seeds and seasonings: Dried onion flakes, white sesame seeds, poppy seeds, black sesame seeds (optional), and coarse salt (optional).
How to Make Homemade Everything Bagels
Here are some quick visual instructions. The full recipe with ingredient measurements is below!
In the bowl of a stand mixer, I use a Bosch Mixer, add the warm water, instant yeast, sugar, salt, and 5 ¼ cups of the flour. (Wait to add the rest of the flour).
Pro Tip: If using active dry yeast, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let it sit for about 5 minutes until it becomes frothy.
Mix until a dough ball forms. Turn off the mixer and feel the dough with your finger. If it feels sticky slowly add a little of the remaining flour and knead until the dough doesn't stick to you and the dough feels dense. Let the dough finish kneading in the mixer
Transfer the dough into a large bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces
There are two methods for shaping the bagels. There is the snake method (I prefer this method) and the ball method. See the video tutorial in the recipe card to see how they are done.
Snake Method: Take one of the 8 pieces and squeeze out an extra air bubbles. Place the dough on the counter and use the palms of your hands to gently roll it out into a long snake. It should be long enough to just barely overlap on your palm. Place the overlapped section down on the counter and rub the two ends together until they stick together and you have a perfect circle.
Ball Method: Take one of the 8 pieces of dough and squeeze out an air bubbles. Cupping the dough in the palm of your hand, roll it into a ball against the counter. Then, use your index finger and thumb to poke a hole into the middle of the dough ball. Use your two index fingers to gently spin the bagel to make the whole wider.
Place all the shaped bagels on a floured counter to rest uncovered while you fill a pot with water and two tablespoons of sugar. Turn the pot on high and bring it to a boil.
Carefully lower 2-3 bagels at a time into the boiling water and boil for 30 seconds on each side. Use a slotted spoon to remove them and place them on the lined baking sheet. Immediately shake the everything season on the bagels.
Pro Tip: The seasoning will not stick if you don't put it on as soon as the bagels come out of the boiling water. In that case, you can gently brush each boiled bagel with an egg wash and sprinkle generously with the bagel seasoning blend.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown, switching the pans from top to bottom rack halfway through.
Say goodbye to Dunkin bagels, Panera bagels, and Trader Joe's bagels. These homemade everything bagels are sure to become a breakfast favorite.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- For uniform bagels, use a digital kitchen scale to divide the dough into equal pieces.
- If the bagel seasoning doesn't stick, brush an egg wash over the boiled bagels and add the seasoning.
- The boiling water bath is what gives these bagels their chewy texture, so don't skip this step.
- Good quality parchment paper or silicone baking mats are crucial to make sure the bagels don't stick.
Storage and Reheating
- Storage: Store them in an airtight container or a plastic bag at room temperature. They should last for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: Slice the bagels in half, put them back together. Double bag them using freezer bags and freeze them in a freezer for up to 3 months.
- Thawing: The bagels can be thawed on the counter or in the fridge. To thaw them faster, carefully use a fork or butter knife to separate the two frozen halves. Put them in the microwave for 30 seconds and then finish by toasting them in the toaster.
Variations
Once you've mastered this everything bagel recipe, try experimenting with different variations:
- Vegan Everything Bagel: These bagels are naturally vegan, but make sure to skip the egg wash. You can use a vegan cream cheese spread, plant-based butter, hummus or avocado on top.
- Onion Bagels: Try making Onion Bagels for lots of flavor, but fewer seeds.
- Experiment with your own mix of seeds and spices to create your unique bagel seasoning mix.
Recipes with Everything Bagels
While classic cream cheese is a beloved choice for everything bagels, you can also get creative with toppings. Check out these everything bagel recipe ideas.
Savory Fillings:
- Classic cream cheese or flavored, like chive or jalapeño.
- Smoked salmon (lox) with cream cheese, capers, red onion, and a squeeze of lemon.
- Avocado with a drizzle of olive oil, sea salt, and red pepper flakes (great for avocado toast).
- Egg and cheese for a breakfast sandwich, with or without bacon or sausage
- Deli meats like turkey, ham, or roast beef, paired with cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mustard
- Hummus with sliced cucumbers and sprouts for a vegetarian option
Sweet Fillings:
- Nut butter (peanut butter or almond butter) with sliced bananas or honey.
- Strawberry or blueberry cream cheese for a sweet and tangy contrast.
- Ricotta cheese with honey and fresh fruit (like berries or figs).
Frequently Asked Questions
An everything bagel is typically topped with a flavorful blend of seeds and seasonings. The most common ingredients include, poppy seeds, white and black sesame seeds, dried garlic flakes, dried onion flakes, flaky sea salt or kosher salt.
More From Thyme for the Table
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📖 Recipe
Homemade Everything Bagel Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Bosch Mixer (or KitchenAid)
- 1 parchment paper or
Ingredients
Bagel Dough
- 2 cups warm water
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast (or active dry)
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 2½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 5¾ cups unbleached bread flour (start with 5¼ cups and wait to add the last ½ cup of flour)
Water Bath
- water
- 2 tablespoons white or brown sugar
Bagel Toppings
- ¼ cup everything bagel seasoning
Instructions
Make the Bagel Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, add the warm water, instant yeast, sugar, salt, and 5¼ cups of flour (wait to add the last ½ cup of flour). Knead the dough for 1-2 minutes until the dough has come together.
- Turn the mixer off and use your index finger to feel how sticky the dough is. If it sticks to your finger add ¼ cup to ½ of flour until the dough doesn't stick to your finger and feels dense.
- Knead on low for 12 minutes with a Kitchenaid mixer and 9 minutes with a Bosch mixer. It should be elastic and smooth.
- Remove the dough from the mixer bowl and add it to a large bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size (about 1 hour, but this time may vary based on the temperature of the dough and your kitchen).
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Shape the Dough
- Remove the dough from the bowl and set it on a lightly floured counter. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. There are two ways to form the bagels: the snake method and the ball method. (SEE VIDEO in recipe card)
- Snake Method: Squeeze out the air bubbles in the piece of dough. Roll the dough into a snake that is just long enough to wrap around your hand and overlap on your palm. Place your palm against the counter and roll it back and forth until the ends are sealed together. You may need to pinch the tips of the ends into the dough.
- Ball Method: Roll the piece of dough into a tight ball. Make a hole in the center of the ball with your index finger and thumb. Gently stretch out the hole by rotating the bagel using your two index fingers.
- Dust an area of your counter with a nice coating of flour and place the shaped bagels on top of the dusted counter as you shape each one.
- While the bagels are resting on the counter, start the water bath with water and sugar and bring it to a boil.
Boil and Bake the Bagels
- Very gently lift a bagel off the counter and put it carefully into the boiling water. Depending on the size of your pot you can boil 1-3 bagels at a time.
- Boil them for 30 seconds on each side. Take them out of the water with a large slotted spoon and place them on the parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Immediately sprinkle the everything seasoning on top. (The seasoning will only stick if you add it as soon as the bagels come out of the water. Otherwise you will need to make an egg wash and brush the top of the bagels and add the seasoning.)
- Bake the two pans in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Make sure to rotate the pans halfway through so that the top pan goes to the lower rack and the lower pan moves to a higher rack. They should be very golden brown before you remove them from the oven.
- Allow the bagels to fully cool on a wire rack before slicing them. Slice them with a bread knife and enjoy with your favorite toppings.
Video
Notes
- Use a kitchen scale to divide the dough into equal pieces for uniform bagels.
- Good quality parchment paper or silicone baking mats are important to make sure the bagels don't stick.
- Storage: Store them in an airtight container or a plastic bag at room temperature. They should last for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: Slice the bagels in half, put them back together. Double bag them using freezer bags and freeze them in a freezer for up to 3 months.
- Thawing: The bagels can be thawed on the counter or in the fridge. To thaw them faster, carefully use a fork or butter knife to separate the two frozen halves. Put them in the microwave for 30 seconds and then finish by toasting them in the toaster.
Aimee says
They came out so good!