Giant Homemade Everything Bagels (Soft & Chewy!)
These Homemade Everything Bagels are a bagel lover’s dream! They are soft and chewy with a slight sweetness from the brown sugar and are delicious with cream cheese, smashed avocado, or smoked salmon.
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You can top them with everything bagel seasoning or leave them plain, both are delicious options!
I love how easy homemade bagels are to make and how they stay soft and chewy, even after reheating. I love to eat mine right out of the oven with cream cheese or toasted with smashed avocado and a hot cup of tea! Giant Everything Bagels can be an easy breakfast or a great grab-and-go afternoon snack.
Bagels are one of those foods we didn’t grow up eating. They are just not that popular in African American culture, but they are something that I now deeply enjoy after making them from scratch!
This recipe takes only 2 hours to make from start to finish -including rising times! Toasted and served with your favorite toppings or eaten right from the oven, I don’t know of a better lunch or snack idea!
What is everything seasoning?
Everything but the bagel seasoning is a popular seasoning blend from Trader Joe’s that is a mix of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, minced garlic and onion, and flaky salt.
You can make your own everything seasoning blend or buy one from Trader Joe’s. Many companies also sell their own version of this delicious seasoning!
Tips and Tools For Making Homemade Everything Bagels
All ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Use a Stand Mixer
I highly suggest using a stand mixer for this recipe. I don’t particularly enjoy kneading a relatively firm dough for 5 – 10 minutes, so I am very thankful for my Stand Mixer!
A firm but soft dough is key
One of the reasons these bagels are soft and chewy is because of the texture of the dough. I find that using almost 2 cups of warm water helps to provide a soft firm dough which equals a soft chewy bagel. I find that lot of times bagels can be a little tough and by the end of the bagel my jaw hurts too much.
In the recipe instructions, I explain what the dough should look like. Basically, you want a dough that holds its shape but is not hard to work with. It’s smooth and firm but still soft.
Brown sugar
Brown sugar is important in this recipe because it helps to make these bagels chewy, as well as adding a hint of sweetness to them. But if you are like me and you never buy brown sugar at the store don’t worry! You can mix organic granulated white sugar with a little bit of blackstrap molasses until you reach that dark brown sugar color.
Sheet Pans – for baking the bagels
Large pot for boiling the bagels in brown sugar water.
How To Shape a Bagel
Here is my favorite way to shape bagels.
Step one: After your dough has doubled in size, divide your dough into 8 – 10 pieces. These are giant everything bagels so I only made 8. Take one piece and fold the ends over each other so it’s a ball. Squeeze the ends together.
Step two: Flip the dough over. Make a loose claw with your hand over the dough and move your hand and the dough in circular motions. This will create a smooth ball of dough.
Step three: Next, using your thumb and index finger, create a hole in the middle of the dough. Place both your index fingers inside the hole, and roll the dough over both fingers to enlarge the hole a few inches to create a bagel shape, don’t make the hole too big.
Step four: Repeat with the remaining dough.
Water Bath and Egg Wash
The water bath is an important step in bagel making, it helps the bagels to cook better and get that perfect dense and chewy texture. Malt barley syrup is traditional but it is an ingredient that can be hard to find. A little bit of brown sugar works just fine!
You don’t have to do an egg wash but it will give the bagels a brown glossy look and help whatever seasonings or toppings stick better. Simply combine 1 egg white with a splash of water. Use a pastry brush to brush to mixture onto each bagel then dip or sprinkle the seasonings on top!
Homemade bagel topping Ideas
The bagel seasoning toppings are optional but they add a bit more flavor to the bagels and they look great too! My family and I like to do a mix of plain bagels and some with toppings.
- Everything seasoning, here is the link to the recipe I used!
- Garlic herb seasoning blend, I used an organic blend from Natural Grocers.
- Poppy seeds
- All-purpose seasoning, this is my favorite seasoning blend of all time. It is a mix of dried herbs, minced garlic, and lemon powder.
- Sesame seeds, white or black look amazing
Frequently asked questions —
This tasty bagel seasoning blend is made of white and black sesame seeds, minced garlic and onion, poppy seeds, and flaky salt. Sometimes ground black pepper is added as well for a hint of spice.
To me, the secret to a good bagel is getting the dough the right consistency and secondly, boiling the bagels in brown sugar. If the dough is too tough you will have tough and hard bagels, the dough should be soft but firm. And the brown sugar water helps give the bagels the perfect sweet chewiness that they are known for!
Yes, that’s all I use! I’ve used both and haven’t noticed a difference. Bread flour is great because it has a higher protein content which is helpful for achieving a dense and chewy texture but it can also happen with plain all-purpose flour too!
I hope you enjoy These Giant Homemade Bagels as much as my family does! Let me know if you make this recipe. Enjoy!
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Looking For More Recipes?
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Giant Everything Bagels Recipe (Soft & Chewy!)
Ingredients
Bagel Ingredients
- 1 ½ – 2 cups warm water
- 1 packet dry active yeast 2 1/4 tsp
- 1 tbsp organic dark brown sugar
- 4 cups organic all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 – 2 tbsp vegetable oil/ ghee
Water Bath:
- Water for boiling
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
Egg Wash:
- 1 egg white
- 1 tablespoon water
Optional Toppings
- Everything Seasoning
- Poppy Seeds
- Garlic Herb Sesame seasoning
- Toasted Sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a stand mixer, add half of the warm water, the packet of yeast, and the dark brown sugar. Allow the yeast to proof or get bubby for 5 – 7 minutes.
- Once the yeast is bubbly, add half of the flour and the salt. Mix with the dough attachment until everything is combined, then add the rest of the flour.
- Slowly add the water until the dough is soft but firm and not sticky at all. The dough will pull away from the sides of the bowl. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, 5 – 10 minutes.
- If the dough falls off the dough hook once the dough hook is lifted up, then add a bit more flour. It should hold its shape.
- Once the dough is smooth and elastic, shape it into a smooth ball. Coat the mixing bowl and the dough with vegetable oil/ghee. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rest in a warm spot for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 425F. Boil a large pot of water, then line two cookie sheets with parchment paper then set aside.
Shaping the Bagels
- Divide the dough into 8-10 pieces. Fold the ends over each other, then flip the dough over. Make a loose claw with your hand over the dough and move your hand and the dough in a circular motion. This will create a smooth ball of dough.
- Next, using your thumb and index finger, create a hole in the middle of the dough. Place both of your index fingers inside the hole, then roll the dough over both fingers to enlarge the hole a few inches to create a bagel shape, don’t make it too big. Set aside on the cookie sheet, then repeat with the remaining dough.
Cooking the Bagels
- Once the water is at a rolling boil, add the dark brown sugar. The water will start to bubble up a little so be careful.
- Gently lower a couple of the bagels into the boiling water. Boil on either side for 1 minute, then using a slotted spoon return the boiled bagels to the cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining bagel dough.
- Once the bagels come out of the boiling water, use a pastry brush to cover each one with an egg wash and your desired toppings.
- Bake the bagels in a 425F oven for 20 – 25 minutes or until they are golden brown.
- Allow them to cool, then serve with cream cheese. Enjoy!
Notes
All nutrition information is automatically generated and should be only used as a rough estimate. This recipe card may contain affiliate links.
