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How to Bake Bagels from Scratch

Name: How to Bake Bagels from Scratch
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 4 cups bread flour; 1 tablespoon sugar; 2 teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon active dry yeast; 1¼ cups room temperature water; 1 tablespoon malt syrup, honey, or brown sugar; as desired sesame seeds, poppy seeds, coarse salt, or everything seasoning

Making bagels requires a two-day process: mix a stiff dough, let it rise slowly in the fridge overnight, shape into rings, boil briefly in water with a touch of malt or sugar, then bake until golden. The overnight fermentation creates the chewy texture and tangy flavor that separates real bagels from bread rolls with holes.

Total time: 2 hr 55 min
Hands-on: 30 min
Serves: 8
Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

4 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1¼ cups room temperature water
1 tablespoon malt syrup, honey, or brown sugar
as desired sesame seeds, poppy seeds, coarse salt, or everything seasoning

Step by step

Make the dough. Combine 4 cups bread flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon active dry yeast in a large bowl. Add 1¼ cups room temperature water and mix until it forms a shaggy, stiff dough. This should feel much stiffer than regular bread dough.
Knead thoroughly. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10-12 minutes until smooth and elastic. The dough will resist at first—keep working it. When properly kneaded, it should spring back when poked and feel tight under your hands.
First rise. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature for 2 hours until doubled. Then refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days. This slow fermentation develops flavor.
Shape the bagels. Remove from fridge and divide into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 8 inches long, then join the ends to form a ring. Make the hole larger than you think—it will close up during boiling and baking. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets.
Second rise. Cover loosely and let rise at room temperature for 30-45 minutes. Test readiness by dropping one bagel into a bowl of water—if it floats within 10 seconds, they're ready. If it sinks, wait 15 more minutes.
Prepare for boiling. Fill a large, wide pot with water and bring to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon malt syrup, honey, or brown sugar. Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line baking sheets with parchment.
Boil the bagels. Working in batches, drop 2-3 bagels into the boiling water. Boil for 1 minute, flip with a slotted spoon, then boil 30 seconds more. Remove and place on the lined baking sheets. Work quickly—don't let them sit in the water.
Add toppings and bake. While still wet from boiling, sprinkle with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, coarse salt, or everything seasoning. Bake for 20-25 minutes until deep golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped on the bottom.

Tips & troubleshooting

Use bread flour, not all-purpose. The higher protein content creates the chewy texture bagels need.
Don't skip the overnight fermentation. This is what gives bagels their characteristic tang and improves texture.
Keep the boiling water at a rolling boil. If it's not bubbling vigorously, the bagels won't develop their skin properly.
Make the holes bigger than you think necessary. They shrink significantly during boiling and baking.
Bagels are best eaten within 6 hours of baking. After that, slice and freeze them—they'll toast perfectly from frozen.
If you don't have malt syrup, brown sugar or honey work fine in the boiling water. Avoid regular white sugar.
Test doneness by tapping the bottom. A properly baked bagel sounds hollow, not dull.

Variations

Everything Bagels. Mix 2 tablespoons each sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried garlic flakes, dried onion flakes, and 1 tablespoon coarse salt. Sprinkle generously on wet bagels before baking.
Whole Wheat Bagels. Replace 1 cup of bread flour with whole wheat flour. Add an extra 2-3 tablespoons water as whole wheat absorbs more liquid. The texture will be denser but more flavorful.
Sourdough Bagels. Replace half the water with active sourdough starter and reduce yeast to ½ teaspoon. Extend the first rise to 3-4 hours at room temperature before refrigerating.
Sweet Bagels. Add ½ cup raisins, dried cranberries, or chocolate chips to the dough after kneading. Increase sugar to 3 tablespoons and add 1 teaspoon cinnamon for cinnamon raisin bagels.

Questions

Why do my bagels come out dense instead of chewy?: Either your dough wasn't kneaded enough to develop gluten, or you used all-purpose flour instead of bread flour. The dough should feel very stiff and elastic after kneading.
Can I skip the boiling step?: No. Boiling creates the bagel's characteristic shiny, chewy crust. Without it, you'll have bread rolls with holes, not bagels.
How long can I keep the shaped bagels before boiling?: Once shaped and risen, boil them within 2 hours. You can refrigerate shaped bagels overnight, but bring them to room temperature for 30 minutes before the float test and boiling.
My bagels spread out flat during baking. What went wrong?: The dough was probably overproofed during the second rise, or the water wasn't boiling vigorously enough. Make sure bagels float quickly in the water test and maintain a rolling boil.
Can I make the dough without a stand mixer?: Absolutely. Bagel dough is stiff enough that hand kneading works well, though it takes more effort. The dough will feel very firm—this is normal.