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Easiest Bagel You’ll Ever Make

All you need is half an hour and arm muscles!

Welcome to my cooking and baking journey!

I’ve been using this recipe for a while now, so I thought I’d share this with you. This is mainly for the readers who love bagels as much as I do.

It reminds me of a breakfast pastry we eat in Türkiye, where I grew up. So, now in the US, I enjoy eating a fresh bagel in the morning with cream cheese and various breakfast toppings.

Store-bought bagels are delicious, and you can definitely skip all this and buy some bagels…

But you know what I don’t like about store-bought bagels in the US?

It comes with a lot of harmful chemicals that are used to extend its shelf life, give it more flavor, etc.

These are known as artificial preservatives, sweeteners, and flavors.

I should know as someone who studied Chemical & Biological Engineering and learned all about these chemicals that are, unfortunately, in our food.

Knowing this and often checking the labels on our food, I felt the need to try making my own food as much as I can.

So, here we are.

Let’s get to baking the easiest bagel you’ll ever make!

Ingredients:

• Yogurt
• Flour (normal, whole wheat, or self-rising — your call)
• Everything but the bagel spice (optional but magical)
• Water, Milk, or Egg Yolk (Or a mixture of any)

Note: Add baking soda or baking powder if you’re not using self-rising flour. We’ve got to get them to rise somehow, right?

1. Mix equal amounts of yogurt and flour in a large bowl. So, 1 tablespoon of yogurt means 1 tablespoon of flour. (I mixed around 2 cups of yogurt and 2 cups of flour and got 6 small bagels.)
2. Add 1 or 1/2 tablespoon of baking soda or baking powder if you’re not using self-rise flour. (I used whole wheat flour just to be healthy.)
3. Spread some flour on a clean surface and get in there with your hands. Knead, knead, knead.
4. Shape the dough into a rough ball and cut this into equal pieces. (I got 6 small pieces out of mine.)
5. Now, there are two ways to shape your dough. The first option is to roll the pieces into a rope and bring the ends together to form a bagel shape. The second option is to press the dough pieces into flat discs, then create a hole in the middle. (I tried both, and the second option is just faster for me.)
6. Now, mix one egg yolk with some milk. Or you can just use water, milk, or egg yolk, but I swear by whisking egg yolk and milk. Brush the bagels with this mixture and top them with everything but the bagel spice.
7. They go in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Make sure to preheat the oven to 350 F or 200 C beforehand.
8. Let them cool down before cutting your bagel in the middle and enjoying it with some toppings.

Yes, I forgot to take a photo after they were done because I was busy enjoying some bagels.

You can store these in the fridge for 2 days or freeze them for a longer storage.

So, there you have it — the Easiest Bagel You’ll Ever Make.

My favorite toppings are cream cheese and avocado. Sprinkle some salt and pepper, and voilà!