Homemade Bagels (Step by Step!)

Step 1

Combine the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the dough hook. Add the ingredients in this order: flour, brown sugar, white sugar, salt and yeast.

Step 2

Add 1 cup of water to the dry ingredients. You can add up to 1/2 cup more water to your dough if this is not enough, but starting with 1 cup will ensure you don’t end up adding too much!

Step 3

Start your mixer starting on low and gradually increasing to high. If the dough seems too dry add in a little more of the remaining 1/2 cup of water slowly.

Step 4

Once the dough starts to come together into a ball, you can continue to knead it on medium speed in your stand mixer with the dough hook for about 10 minutes, or you can turn it out onto a clean counter with a little flour and knead it by hand. I prefer to knead it by hand, just to make sure that the gluten is building up well, but it’s not necessary.

Step 5

Once the dough has been worked  for 10ish minutes in the mixer or 15ish minutes by hand and seems strong, turn it out onto a clean surface (no need for flour) and shape into a smooth ball. Use a sharp knife to divide the dough into 6 equal piece for large bagels or 8 pieces for slightly smaller bagels.

Step 6

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and sprinkle with cornmeal. You can also sprinkle with flour if you don’t have any cornmeal! Shape each portion into a round ball with your hands and place 3 inches apart on your prepared baking sheets. Cover the pans with cling wrap or a dish towel and place in a warm place to rise for an hour.

Step 7

After the dough balls have risen, take your thumb and make a hole in the center of each ball, gently spread the hole out to shape the dough into bagel shapes. The dough should be very strong so you can really stretch it. Cover the pans again with cling wrap or a dish towel to prevent the bagels drying out and allow to rise for 15 more minutes while you get the water boiling.

Step 8

Fill a large wide pot about 2/3 of the way with water and bring to a boil. Once the water starts simmering, add in about 1 cup of brown sugar. This will help the bagels to be super chewy.

Step 9

Once the water is boiling, use a spatula to gently drop the bagels into the boiling water one at a time. Boil for about 1 minute before flipping over to the other side and boiling for another minute.

Step 10

After they have boiled, place them back on the baking sheets

Step 11

If desired, you can place toppings on the top of your bagels. Simply sprinkle your desired seasonings over the top of the bagels and gently press on them so that they stick to the wet bagel. We love everything bagel seasoning, poppy seed, sesame seeds, asiago cheese, or cinnamon sugar!

Step 12

Cook the bagels at 450°F for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. You’ll know the bagels are done when they are golden brown and sound hollow if you tap on one.

Step 13

Allow the bagels to cool before slicing and serving with your desired spreads!