How To Make Homemade Bagels In One Hour
I can’t wait to show you how to make bagels in just over an hour! I live in Southern Utah and we have one place you can purchase bagels besides the supermarkets. Here’s the deal, once you make these, you will never buy bagels again, except once in a while at your favorite bagel shop. There is a bagel store called Rich’s Bagels in Salt Lake City, Utah. Oh, my goodness, those bagels rock with goodness!
Whenever Mark and I go up north we always get a bag of their bagels and the cream cheese spreads they sell. Sometimes you just need to make bagels, particularly if your supermarket is ten miles away, right? I can make these bagels faster than driving the ten miles to go stand in line and pay for them. Of course, they are a lot cheaper too. I don’t have the vast variety they have in town, but these are freshly baked and homemade.
Please, note you can add raisins, sunflower seeds, grated cheese, or whatever are your favorite add in’s to the dough that you like in your favorite bagels that you buy. These bagels are so soft and chewy that you will love them! They are so easy to make, and I also have some cream cheese spread recipes below.
How To Make Bagels:
- 1-1/2 cups warm water
- 2-1/2 tsp. SAF yeast
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1/4 cup honey (plus 1 tablespoon honey for the boiling water below)
- 4 to 4-1/2 cups freshly ground whole wheat flour or white bread flour
- 3 eggs, beaten for egg wash
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Eggs, slightly beaten for the egg wash to make the seasonings stick to the bagels before baking
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Put the warm water in the Bosch or in a bowl, start adding all the ingredients (except for the eggs) and 2 cups flour, then add the other 1 1/2 to 2 cups flour. Mix in the Bosch or knead on the counter for 5-8 minutes.
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Form dough into a ball and place in greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.
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Divide the dough into 12 balls and pull your fingers through the center of the ball to make a “donut” like shape, or in our case, a bagel. Place the bagels on a greased pan or parchment paper and let rest 15-20 minutes uncovered.
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Grab a pan that’s about 12 inches by 2-1/2 inches deep, fill it partially with water and bring the water to a rolling boil. This is when you add the additional 1 tablespoon of honey above in the water (it makes the bagels chewy). Put 4-6 bagels in the boiling water for seven minutes (yes minutes, this makes them puff up) turning the bagels ONCE during this time. When you bring them out to drain, it’s at this point where you can brush the bagels with the beaten eggs and then top the bagels with crushed pumpkin seeds, granola, sesame seeds, onion, cinnamon, and sugar, etc. Anything that sounds yummy to you is fine to add! Continue draining on a towel 1-2 minutes. I like my bagels plain so I didn’t put anything on them.
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Bake @ 375 degrees 22-27 minutes on a greased cookie sheet until the tops are golden brown. Some people in my family think the bagel’s flavor is enhanced if you slice the bagel in half and then lightly toast them. We have been pretty adventurous with our toppings over the years. Cream cheese is super, but don’t be shy about trying all sorts of fruits and vegetables too. Enjoy!
Form dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for 10 minutes.
Divide the dough into 12 balls and pull your fingers through the center of the ball to make a “donut” like shape, or in our case, a bagel. Place the bagels on a greased pan or parchment paper and let rest for 15-20 minutes uncovered.
Grab a pan that’s about 12 inches by 2-1/2 inches deep, fill it partially with water, and bring the water to a rolling boil. This is when you add the additional 1 tablespoon of honey above in the water (it makes the bagels chewy). Put 4-6 bagels in the boiling water for seven minutes (yes minutes, this makes them puff up) turning the bagels ONCE during this time.
When you bring them out to drain, it’s at this point where you can brush the bagels with the beaten eggs and then top the bagels with crushed pumpkin seeds, granola, sesame seeds, onion, cinnamon, sugar, etc. Anything that sounds yummy to you is fine to add! Continue draining on a towel for 1-2 minutes. I like my bagels plain so I didn’t put anything on them.
Bake @ 375 degrees for 22-27 minutes on a greased cookie sheet until the tops are golden brown. Some people in my family think the bagel’s flavor is enhanced if you slice the bagel in half and then lightly toast them. We have been pretty adventurous with our toppings over the years. Cream cheese is super, but don’t be shy about trying all sorts of fruits and vegetables too. Enjoy!
Cream Cheese Spreads
Now, let’s talk cream cheese spreads. My favorite bagel shop, Rich’s Bagels, sells a jalapeno orange cream cheese spread that is out of this world! Of course, I only get to have some of it once or twice a year when I go up north to Salt Lake City, Utah. I told my daughters I have got to figure out how to make that flavor of cream cheese spread.
I decided to combine some whipped Philadelphia cream cheese and some pepper jelly along with some fresh orange zest. I emptied the whole container (8 ounces) and added two tablespoons of pepper jelly to a bowl. I always have oranges in the refrigerator, so I was set. I grabbed my Microplane coarse grater like this one, Microplane 38000 Professional Coarse Grater
. I grated about two tablespoons of orange rind zest.
Cream Cheese For Bagels
Jalapeno Orange Cream Cheese Spread
- Ingredients:
- 8 ounces whipped or 8 ounces of softened cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons pepper jelly (you decide on the amount of spicy flavor you like)
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated orange rind zest
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Instructions:
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Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and serve.
Cranberry Walnut Orange Cream Cheese Spread
- Ingredients:
- 8 ounces whipped or 8 ounces of softened cream cheese
- 1-2 tablespoons of finely chopped dried cranberries Craisins-“R”
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated orange rind zest
- 1-2 tablespoons walnuts or pecans
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Instructions:
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Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and serve.
Orange Marmalade Walnut Cream Cheese Spread
- Instructions:
- 8 ounces whipped or 8 ounces of softened cream cheese
- 1-2 tablespoons of orange marmalade jam
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated orange rind zest
- 1-2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts or pecans
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Instructions:
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Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and serve.
Final Word
Please share with me the ingredients you like when you make bagels or cream cheese spreads. Or tell me if you have ever wanted to make bagels. Please remember if you know how to make a type of bread you can survive almost any disaster. May God bless you and your family.
My favorite things:
OXO Good Grips Multi-purpose Stainless Steel Scraper & Chopper
Cuisinart 722-30H Chef’s Classic Stainless 12-Inch Open Skillet with Helper Handle
Lodge Cast-Iron Skillet L10SK3ASHH41B, 12-Inch
I am so excited to make my first batch of bagels. Thank you!
Hi Joan, it’s so fun to make bagels!! They are so easy to make. It’s really funny that that little bit of honey (one tablespoon) makes the bagels chewy!! It’s a fun thing to do with kids and grandkids! Have fun!! Linda
Please tell me what SFA yeast is. I live in Alberta, Canada, do you think it is available here? I really want to learn how to make bagels and your recipe and instructions are very clear! My favourite topping is cream cheese with sliced cucumbers and salt & pepper. So good!
Hi Diane, it’s instant yeast. SAF, you can buy it through Amazon. I would recommend storing it in the freezer if you don’t bake often. Linda
All of this sounds yummy. I’ve never made bagels because it seems like it would be so much trouble, but this sounds pretty easy.
My question is–In the cranberry walnut orange cream cheese spread, how much of the walnuts do you recommend. We don’t usually have walnuts, but we always have pecans so could I use those instead?
Hi Sandra, bagels are really easy to make. If you have pecans, I would use pecans instead of the walnuts. I chop a few and add what looks good. It’s so yummy on bagels! Have fun making them!!!! Linda
So, would you use about 1 or 2 tablespoons of nuts like in the Orange Marmalade?
Hi Sandra, yes, if you have too many nuts it’s overbearing to me. Some people like more nuts. The finer you chop them the better because they spread throughout the cream cheese. Linda
Hi Sandra, I just changed the recipes to show 1-2 tablespoons of walnuts or pecans. Linda
I enjoy bagels with cream cheese or peanut butter. I actually love bagels for making a cheese or egg sandwich or a more traditional like cheese and a sliced turkey, chicken or ham. I like the taste and the chewy bread. It just seems to make for a more filling and tasty sandwich than plain sliced bread.
If I get to try your recipe, I’ll let you know. I like plain bagels, but also enjoy onions or blueberries.
Hi Frank, these bagels are so easy to make!! I love onion bagels, I need to try making some. I like plain ones and then dress us them up with stuff!! Linda
I enjoy bagels already, so when I found out we can have home made, I was floored!! Whether I have plain for eggs in the holes or blueberry w cream cheese, I cant wait to start making my own. Great recipe and thanks for posting.
Hi F Sethman, oh I’m so glad you saw the post on making bagels. They are so easy to make! Linda
This looks so delicious!
Hi Jess, thank you! I hope you try making them!! Thank you, Linda
I used fresh orange juice from one orange plus water to equal and replace the 1-1/2 cups of water, replaced the honey in the dough with 1/2 cup orange marmalade, and kneaded in 1-1/2 cups Craisins dried cranberries in the last few minutes of kneading. The rest of the recipe was followed exactly. Fantastic cranberry orange bagels! Thank you for a wonderful yet simple recipe!
Hi Leslie, oh my gosh, I need to make these!! I love all bagels!! Thank you for the 5 stars, my friend!! I’m going to go get some orange marmalade!! I have cranberries (craisins)!!! Linda