5-Ingredient Homemade Bagels
Golden crisp on the outside, tender and chewy inside, these 5-ingredient homemade bagels are everything you love about your favorite bakery bagel, made effortlessly at home. Enjoy them plain, cheesy, or sprinkled with za’atar for a delicious twist!
Servings: 8 bagels
Ingredients
Bagels
- ½ tablespoon Instant yeast
- 1½ cups Warm water
- 2 tablespoons Brown sugar or honey
- 4 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon Salt
For Boiling
- 8 cups Water
- 1 tablespoon Baking soda
For Egg Wash (Optional)
- 1 Egg beaten
5-Minute Strawberry Schmear
- ½ cup Chopped strawberries
- 1 cup Whipped cream cheese room temperature
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons Honey or sweetener of choice to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine warm water, brown sugar, and yeast. Stir and let it sit for 5–10 minutes, until foamy and activated.
- Add the flour and salt, mixing until a shaggy dough forms. Knead for 8–10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
- Lightly brush the inside of a clean bowl with ½ tablespoon of olive oil, and place the dough inside.
- Cover with a towel and let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Once risen, punch down the dough and divide it into 8 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece into a ball, poke a hole in the center with your finger, and gently stretch into a ring shape.
- Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large pot and stir in the baking soda.
- Gently drop 2–3 bagels at a time into the water, so they have enough room to expand and don’t stick together.
- Boil each for 30–45 seconds per side, then transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Brush each bagel with beaten egg and add your favorite toppings while still wet so they stick.
- Bake at 425°F for 20–25 minutes, until golden brown and glossy.If using cheese or other toppings that can burn, bake the bagels for about 18 minutes first, then remove, add the toppings, and return to the oven for 5–7 minutes until melted and lightly golden.
- Let cool slightly before slicing. Serve them fresh or toasted.
5-Minute Strawberry Schmear
- Soften the cream cheese. Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature. If it’s still cold, microwave it for about 15 seconds and stir until smooth.
- Chop and mash the strawberries with a fork. Leave a few small chunks if you prefer a bit of texture.
- In a bowl, combine the mashed strawberries, softened cream cheese, vanilla, and honey.
- Stir well until the mixture is smooth, creamy, and fully blended.
- Spread generously over warm homemade bagels and enjoy immediately.
Notes
Activate the yeast properly: Around 105–110°F is warm enough to activate yeast but not hot enough to kill it.
Knead for the perfect texture: Knead the dough for about 8–10 minutes until it’s smooth and elastic. This helps create that signature chewy bagel texture.
Oil your bowl: Lightly brush your bowl with olive oil before resting the dough. This prevents sticking and helps the dough rise evenly.
Shape evenly: Try to make all bagels the same size and thickness so they bake evenly.
Don’t skip the boil: This step gives bagels their golden crust and chewy inside. Boil each side for 30–45 seconds only; longer boiling can make them dense.
Egg wash for shine: Brush the tops with beaten egg before baking to give the bagels that glossy, golden bakery-style finish.
Add toppings right away: Sprinkle sesame, za’atar, cinnamon sugar, or cheese while the bagels are still wet from the egg wash so they stick perfectly. For cheese or moist toppings, bake plain bagels for 18 minutes first, then add toppings and return to the oven for the final 5–7 minutes to prevent burning.
Nutrition
Serving: 8bagels | Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 1396mg | Potassium: 119mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 411IU | Vitamin C: 0.001mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 3mg