Fluffy Homemade Plain Bagels

I first attempted to make these Fluffy Homemade Plain Bagels a few months ago, when I was finally able to get my hands on the much-coveted all-purpose flour. I decided my first endeavor would be bagels, above all other appetizing contenders (like pumpkin muffins, cheddar bacon waffles, and high-protein pizza crust). And it was a GREAT decision.

These Fluffy Homemade Plain Bagels live up to their name. Here are the many reasons why I keep making these babies, week after week:

1. Puff up beautifully.
2. Taste surprisingly buttery (without any butter or added fat at all).
3. Form the perfect lightly golden “crust”.
4. Freezer friendly, easy to defrost, and taste just as fresh as when they came out of the oven.
5. Minimal ingredients (which you should have on hand).
6. Most of the “prep” time is not active time (so you can go do other things while your bagels raise).
7. And bagels. Just like, enough said.

Before getting started, be sure to check out my Ultimate Guide to Making Yeast Breads. It’ll help you be more aware of the most common yeast bread baking mistakes and my best tips and tricks for success!

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Quick Tips for Great Fluffy Bagels

I’ll go ahead and distill the most useful bagel related tips here again for you:

1. Make sure the water temperature is warm. If your water is too cold, the yeast won’t activate. If it is too hot, the yeast will die. Test the temperature by dripping a few drops on your wrist. It should be warm and comfy.
2. Check that your yeast is active. Yeast is a living organism and does die eventually. So make sure your yeast is active before launching into your recipe. Test by combining a pinch of yeast and sugar in a splash of warm water. If bubbles begin to form, the yeast is active.
3. Cover your dough and let it rise in a warm place. Use a clean kitchen towel to cover your dough to prevent drying out. Let it rise in a warm place to help activate the yeast.
4. Always preheat the oven. To ensure even baking, preheat the oven well ahead of bake time. The temperature will even out, giving your bagels the perfect warm baking conditions.
5. Test that your bagels float in boiling water. Before throwing all of your bagels in the boiling water at once (which you shouldn’t do anyway, fyi), test one to see if it floats. If it floats, then it is ready. If the bagel is too dense, it will sink, which is an indication of under proofed dough. Let it rise longer and try again.

Now, onto the main event!

How to Make Homemade Fluffy Bagels

Step 1: Activate the Yeast

Start by adding warm water to a medium mixing bowl. You want it to be quite warm to the touch, but not scalding as it will kill the yeast. Add the yeast and honey. Whisk. Let sit for 5 minutes to activate. The yeast is activating if you see small bubbles forming.

Step 2: Add Remaining Ingredients and Knead

Next, add salt and flour. Mix until the dough begins to get tough to stir. Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. You can also flour your hands a bit to help prevent the dough from sticking to you while you knead.

Knead the dough, working in the flour, until it is smooth and elastic and no longer sticky, usually about 6 to 7 minutes. You may have to re-flour your surface multiple times.

Step 3: First Proof

Lightly mist the mixing bowl you used previously with cooking spray. Add the dough back to the bowl. Cover with a cloth and keep in a dry warm place. Let the dough raise 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.

A few tips about proofing. First, don’t rely on time to indicate if the dough is ready. Instead, rely on the volume. The dough should double in size in the first proof. This may take 1 hour or longer.

Another tip is to test the dough for doneness. Press your finger into the center of the dough. If it the dough springs back instantly, your dough is under proofed, meaning it is not ready to be shaped and needs more time to let the yeast activate. If the dough does not give at all, it is over proofed and has had too long to rise. Fortunately, you can simply punch the dough back down to release the stored carbon dioxide gas. Then roll it back into a ball and start the proofing process over again.

The dough is ready when it springs back slowly when pressed.

The proofing stage is so important, because if you don’t get it right, it can cause issues when you bake the bagels, such as cracked crusts, dense and tough texture, among other things.

Step 4: Shape the Dough

Line a large baking sheet (or two) with parchment paper. Set aside.

Deflate the dough gently (just give it a single light “punch” in the middle). Divide the dough into 8 even pieces. I usually eyeball halving the dough and then repeat the process until I have 8 roughly equally sized pieces.

Take 1 ball and flatten it gently with your palm a few times until you get it to the diameter of a bagel. Use your finger to poke a hole in the center and pull the dough slightly apart. This will be the bagel center and it will close up some during the second proof and baking so you can make it as large or small as you desire.

You can also roll the dough into a rope. Connect the ends of the dough and pinch to form a circle. Either method works well.

Transfer the bagel to the lined baking sheet. Repeat the process for the remaining 7 balls.

Step 5: Second Proof

Preheat the oven to 425F. We want to give the oven plenty of time to heat up properly to ensure even cooking. The oven can heat up during the second proof and boiling stages.

Cover and let raise 15 to 20 minutes. The bagels should have puffed up and doubled in size. You can do the press test again to make sure they are ready for the next stage of bagel making.

Step 6: Boil the Bagels

While the bagels undergo the second proof, bring a large sauce pot of water to a boil.

Once the bagels are done raising and the water is boiling, use a large slotted spoon to transfer 3 to 4 bagels to the boiling water, or however many will fit comfortably in the water without overcrowding. You can reduce the heat slightly to keep a rolling boil, but make sure you keep the water boiling.

Boil the bagels on one side 1 minute, then gently rotate the bagels to the other side and boil another 1 minute. Remove the bagels from the water using a slotted spoon and transfer back to the lined baking sheet. Repeat until all 8 bagels have boiled.

Another tip: the bagels should float when they are added to the water. If they don’t float, they are not quite done proofing. So begin by testing one bagel. If it floats, go ahead with the rest.

Step 7: Bake the Bagels

You can use either an egg white wash or almond milk to coat the bagels. If you use the egg white wash, combine 1 tablespoon egg white with 1 tablespoon water. Brush egg white onto the tops of the bagels.

If you want to season the bagels, top the egg white wash with your seasoning of choice. You can use everything bagel seasoning, garlic flakes, poppy seed, and so on. The sky’s the limit!

Bake the bagels for about 15 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. I generally check mine around 12 or 14 minutes, as they may bake quicker depending on their size. Try to avoid peeking too many times, as opening the oven affects the baking chemistry.

Once the bagels are done, remove from the oven and move to a wire rack. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes, or until you can handle the bagels. Enjoy!

How to Enjoy These Fluffy Bagels:

• With Cream Cheese – The beauty of plain bagels is that they pair with every flavor of cream cheese. Plain cream cheese is always a crowd pleaser, but you can also get more adventurous with honey almond, garden veggie, or onion and chive.
• With Nut Butters – Give your bagels a boost of protein with a nice dab of peanut butter, almond butter, sun butter, pistachio butter, hazelnut butter, or any nut butter blend. Make your own with a food processor and your favorite nuts!
• With Jam – Few spreads outdo fresh jam. We love to pair these bagels with fresh strawberry, plum or Honey Apricot Jam.
• Make it a Sandwich – Bagels make the most beautiful breakfast, lunch, and dinner sandwiches. We don’t discriminate!
  • Breakfast – We absolutely love pairing these bagels with smashed avocado, spinach, scrambled or fried eggs, a slice of cheese all topped with honey mustard or chipotle mayo.
  • Lunch – Go for some cream cheese, salmon lox, red onion, and relish (it’s actually pretty good).
  • Dinner – Add a thick slice of oven-roasted turkey breast, fresh butter lettuce, white cheddar cheese, tomato, and onion with a splash of avocado aioli.

How to Store Fluffy Bagels

Fresh bagels are preservative free and as such dry out fairly quickly. If you want to keep these tasting fresh, I recommend freezing any bagels you don’t plan to eat in 1 to 2 days.

Let the bagels cool completely on the wire rack. For the bagels you intend to eat, transfer to an airtight container or baggie. Store on the counter. Avoid storing in the fridge, as that can make the bagels stale quicker.

For the bagels you plan to freeze, transfer to a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 1 month for optimum freshness, though we doubt they’ll last that long!

How to Enjoy Frozen Bagels:

Remove the bagel from the freezer and pop in the microwave for about 30 seconds to defrost (I don’t use defrost setting, I just set the timer to 30 seconds). Cut the bagel in half with a bread knife and toast. Enjoy!

Let us know how you enjoyed your Fluffy Homemade Plain Bagels by dropping a comment and/or rating below to let us know what you think! Also, please be sure to share this on Pinterest or social media if you enjoyed it (we really appreciate it)! 💕

Be sure to check out some of our other delicious baked goods:

• Cranberry Dark Chocolate Scones
• Healthy Apple Cobbler Muffins
• Savory Cheddar Bacon and Herb Waffles
• Chai Spiced Scones
• Healthy Pumpkin Muffins