Description
These homemade onion bagels are perfectly chewy with a golden crust, topped with flavorful dried onion flakes. Made from scratch with simple ingredients, they are boiled before baking to achieve that classic bagel texture and a shiny finish with an optional egg white wash.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 2 cups warm water (about 115°F)
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 5 1/3 cups unbleached bread flour (plus more as needed)
Boiling Ingredients
- Water (for boiling)
- 1 tablespoon sugar (for boiling water)
Topping Ingredients
- Dried onion flakes (for topping)
- 1 egg white (optional, for egg wash)
Instructions
- Mix dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine warm water, instant yeast, sugar, and salt. Add the bread flour and mix until a shaggy dough forms. If the dough feels sticky, add a little extra flour as needed.
- Knead and rise: Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Transfer it to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
- Shape bagels: Punch down the risen dough and divide it into 8 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a ball. Use your thumb to poke a hole through the center of each ball and gently stretch the dough to form the classic bagel shape.
- Boil bagels: Fill a large pot with water, add sugar, and bring it to a boil. Working in batches, gently drop each bagel into the boiling water and boil for 30 seconds on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon and let excess water drain off.
- Bake: Place the boiled bagels on parchment-lined baking sheets. Immediately sprinkle each bagel with dried onion flakes. Optionally, brush the tops with egg white for a shiny finish. Preheat your oven to 400°F and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack before serving.
Notes
- Use unbleached bread flour for the best chewy texture.
- Adding more flour during mixing and kneading may be necessary depending on humidity and flour brand.
- Boiling bagels briefly before baking is essential to getting the authentic chewy crust.
- The egg white wash is optional but helps produce a shiny, attractive crust.
- Store bagels in an airtight container for up to 2 days or freeze for longer storage.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Boiling, Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: onion bagels, homemade bagels, bagel recipe, chewy bagels, breakfast bread
