New York Style Bagels
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Homemade New York Style Bagels are large and chewy, achieved through a brief boiling process. These bagels are made with simple ingredients including yeast, sugar, water, bread flour, and salt, and are often topped with sesame seeds or everything bagel seasoning!
Homemade Bagels
If you’ve ever been to New York City and have sampled their bagels, you’ll know how delicious these bagels are. Every time we travel there, I come home wanting to create my own bagel recipe that comes close.
After attempting to make these every single day for four days, I think I’ve got it. I learned plenty of things along the way including, 1) don’t over-proof the dough, 2) weigh the ingredients (in grams), 3) use enough flour (more than you think you’ll need), 4) boil the bagels for two minutes (one min each side), and 5) never give up! 🙂
Why This Recipe Works:
- SIMPLE INGREDIENTS – Only FIVE ingredients are needed (plus honey for boiling) for this homemade bagel recipe. These use simple-to-find ingredients at your local grocery store.
- THICK AND CHEWY – The result of using the right ratio of ingredients and boiling the bagel shapes are thick and chewy bagels! You need stiff dough to make the perfect bagel!
- SO MANY WAYS TO ENJOY THESE – Use homemade bagels for toast with butter, jam, peanut butter, and/or cream cheese. Make them into sandwiches – ham and cheese, ham and egg, bacon and egg, tuna melts, etc.
- BEST BAGEL RECIPE – After a week of bagel making and a whole lot of flour used, I’m confident in saying that these are the best bagels!
Ingredients Used:
IMPORTANT: I recommend weighing your ingredients in grams, especially the water and flour.
- Active Dry Yeast
- Granulated Sugar
- Warm Water – warmed to 100-110 degrees f
- Bread Flour
- Kosher Salt
How to make New York Style Bagels:
Step 1
Activate the yeast. In the bowl of a large standing mixer, combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water. Stir with a spatula and let sit for 15 minutes (without stirring).
NOTE: Yeast is activated when the mixture is bubbly and foamy on top.
Step 2
Add flour and salt. Then add the flour and salt to the bowl. Add the dough hook and start mixer on low speed. Let mixer run until the flour fully absorbs. You may need to stop mixer and use a spatula to scrape down the sides occasionally.
NOTE: The dough will be stiff and it may take a bit to become fully combined.
Step 3
Remove bagel dough to a large bowl. When dough is ready, use your hands to transfer it to a greased bowl. Punch it down and form it into a ball. Place the dough seam side down and cover with a clean dish towel or plastic wrap.
Step 4
Let rise. Place the bowl in a warm place (or room temperature) of your kitchen. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, approximately one hour.
Step 5
Divide dough. Use a bench scraper (or sharp knife) to divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Form the dough into balls and place on a greased baking sheet. Let rest for five minutes.
NOTE: My dough weighed 1343 grams in total. So I made sure each piece of dough was about 112 grams.
Step 6
Form holes. Use your index finger and poke a hole in the middle of each dough ball. Then gently stretch the dough to make the hole about an inch wide. Place bagel shapes back on the baking sheet and let rest again.
Step 7
Prep for baking. Preheat oven to 425 degrees f. Prep two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 8
Prep water bath. Fill a large pot (I use our Dutch Oven) to about 2/3 full. (Make sure you have plenty of water in the pot.) Add the honey (or use barley malt syrup) to the large pot of water, stir well, and bring the water to a rapid boil.
Step 9
Boil bagels. Add 2-3 bagel shapes (don’t crowd the pan) to the boiling water. They should float to the top. Let the shapes boil for about one minute and then flip to the other side and let boil for another minute. Use a slotted spoon (or a fine mesh sieve) to remove one bagel at a time, shaking off excess water as you go. (I use some paper towel and tap the sieve on top to help remove water.) Set bagels on the prepared baking sheets.
Continue boiling bagels until all are boiled.
Step 10
Add an egg wash. Combine an egg and a splash of water in a small bowl. Whisk well. Then brush the egg wash on all the boiled bagels and top with toppings of your choice.
Step 11
Bake bagels. Bake the bagels (six to a baking sheet) for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown. Remove pans and transfer bagels to wire cooling racks. Let cool.
Storing and Freezing:
Store bagels in an airtight container or large freezer bags for a day or two. I recommend wrapping each bagel, placing in freezer bags, and storing in the freezer. Just take one out of the freezer at a time and enjoy the perfect New York Style Bagels whenever you want!
How to Serve Homemade Bagels:
Top a warm bagel with your favorite toppings!
- Fresh or toasted – with butter, jam, peanut butter, cream cheese
- Breakfast Sammies – any combo of egg, bacon, ham, and cheese
- Other sandwiches – try making a tuna melt, turkey and cheese, BLT with pesto
Other Delicious Bread Recipes:
We never say no to bread around here, and I’ve got no shortage of recipes for you to try. Which recipe will you try next?
- Chewy French Bread
- Honey Wheat Bread
- Cracked Wheat Bread
- Garlic Sourdough Bread
- Braided Brioche Bread
PLUS – try our Blueberry Bagels next!
Recipe FAQs:
Yes, you can substitute instant yeast for active dry yeast. Use the same quantity, but you can skip the proofing step and mix it directly with the dry ingredients.
The boiling step sets the crust and gives the bagel its signature chewiness. I recommend boiling each side for one minute.
Yes, bread flour is a high-gluten flour that helps to achieve a chewy texture. I don’t recommend any other type of flour (including all-purpose flour).
Rising allows the yeast to ferment, producing carbon dioxide for a light texture. Let the dough rise until it doubles in size, depending on many factors including climate and temperature in your house.
New York Style Bagels are typically larger than their counterparts in other regions – about 4 to 6 inches in diameter. (Mine aren’t as large as these but you could easily make them larger!)
While plain bagels are popular, an authentic New York Bagel can come with various toppings. Classic options include sesame seeds, poppy seeds, onion, garlic, or everything bagel seasoning, which typically consists of a mix of sesame seeds, poppy seeds, onion, garlic, and salt.
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
New York Style Bagels Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Tablespoon active dry yeast (26 grams)
- 2 Tablespoon granulated sugar (25 grams)
- 2 ¼ cup warm water (531 grams) – heated to 100-110 degrees f
- 6 cups bread flour (780 grams)
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- water plus 1/4 cup honey – for boiling
- egg wash – (one egg plus a splash of water)
- toppings – optional
Instructions
- Activate the yeast. In the bowl of a large standing mixer, combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water. Stir with a spatula and let sit for 15 minutes (without stirring).NOTE: Yeast is activated when the mixture is bubbly and foamy on top.
- Add flour and salt. Then add the flour and salt to the bowl. Add the dough hook and start mixer on low speed. Let mixer run until the flour fully absorbs. You may need to stop mixer and use a spatula to scrape down the sides occasionally.NOTE: The dough will be stiff and it may take a bit to become fully combined.
- Remove bagel dough to a large bowl. When dough is ready, use your hands to transfer it to a greased bowl. Punch it down and form it into a ball. Place the dough seam side down and cover with a clean dish towel or plastic wrap.
- Let rise. Place the bowl in a warm place (or room temperature) of your kitchen. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, approximately one hour.
- Divide dough. Use a bench scraper (or sharp knife) to divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Form the dough into balls and place on a greased baking sheet. Let rest for five minutes.NOTE: My dough weighed 1343 grams in total. So I made sure each piece of dough was about 112 grams.
- Form holes. Use your index finger and poke a hole in the middle of each dough ball. Then gently stretch the dough to make the hole about an inch wide. Place bagel shapes back on the baking sheet and let rest again.
- Prep for baking. Preheat oven to 425 degrees f. Prep two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Prep water bath. Fill a large pot (I use our Dutch Oven) to about 2/3 full. (Make sure you have plenty of water in the pot.) Add the honey (or use barley malt syrup) to the large pot of water, stir well, and bring the water to a rapid boil.
- Boil bagels. Add 2-3 bagel shapes (don't crowd the pan) to the boiling water. They should float to the top. Let the shapes boil for about one minute and then flip to the other side and let boil for another minute. Use a slotted spoon (or a fine mesh sieve) to remove one bagel at a time, shaking off excess water as you go. (I use some paper towel and tap the sieve on top to help remove water.) Set bagels on the prepared baking sheets.Continue boiling bagels until all are boiled.
- Add an egg wash. Combine an egg and a splash of water in a small bowl. Whisk well. Then brush the egg wash on all the boiled bagels and top with toppings of your choice.
- Bake bagels. Bake the bagels (six to a baking sheet) for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown. Remove pans and transfer bagels to wire cooling racks. Let cool.
Notes
- STORING AND FREEZING: Store bagels in an airtight container or large freezer bags for a day or two. I recommend wrapping each bagel, placing in freezer bags, and storing in the freezer. Just take one out of the freezer at a time and enjoy the perfect New York Style Bagels whenever you want!
- Classic topping options include sesame seeds, poppy seeds, onion, garlic, or everything bagel seasoning, which typically consists of a mix of sesame seeds, poppy seeds, onion, garlic, and salt.
Mine were a bit thinner than expected. Most likely from over proofing. Otherwise easy and DELICIOUS! Will definitely be making again.
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed these, Kathy!
These were the perfect amount of chewy! Delicous!
I’m so happy to hear this, Janelle!
I’ve always wanted to make my own bagels and these were delicious! Your great tips made them easier than I anticipated too.
Thanks so much Julie!
I don’t think I can ever eat a store bought bagel again! These were incredible!!
Aww, thanks Laura!
Awesome recipe! In addition to a great breakfast bagel, I like the option to make a sandwich for lunch. Love it!
Thanks!
Just perfect, so delicious! Even my husband, who is very critical when it comes to bagels, is totally thrilled.
Thanks so much for your feedback, Heike!