One of the staples in my kitchen, this New York style bagel recipe is super easy to make and well worth the effort! Crispy on the outside, just like your favorite NY deli, but baked in your own kitchen. These are the real deal!
Two main types of bagel recipes
I am SOO excited to share this recipe for NY style bagels, which I absolutely love (as much or even more than my favorite NY pizza dough).
But before we get much further, you should know that there are two main types of bagel recipes:
- Traditional NY style bagels, which have also been referred to as "water bagels", because they are boiled just before they are baked. This technique is used to set the exterior and give the bagels that crispy exterior and chewy quality.
- Steamed bagels, which are less traditional and lack the roundness and shininess of NY bagels. See more about the difference between boiled and steamed bagels here.
This recipe is for the traditional water bagels, also referred to as NY style bagels.
Overview of ingredients for this bagel recipe
You may have most of these ingredients on hand. If you don't, it is certainly quite easy to keep these ingredients in stock going forward.
Overview of Bagel Recipe Process
I usually opt to make overnight bagels. For this easy process, you will:
- Mix and knead the dough until fairly smooth
- Divide the dough into 8 pieces (115 grams or 4 ounces each piece)
- Roll the 8 pieces into balls
- Poke a hole in each ball and shape into bagels
- Place on greased baking sheet and let rest/rise in refrigerator overnight or on counter for same day bagels.
- Boil bagels in batches of 3 or 4 (30 to 45 seconds, up to 2 minutes, on each side)
- Drain over pot using slotted spoon and placed on baking sheet lined with parchment
- Bake at 450 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.
Mixing and easy shaping technique
I make my bagels the night before I want to enjoy them. It takes me about 30 minutes of mixing and measuring and then some hands off time to let dough rest. I then shape them, and put them away for next day baking.
The photo collage below shows an overview of the steps needed.
Mix dry ingredients (photo 1), and then mix the wet ingredients (photo 2). Then, combine the wet and dry ingredients and knead using hands or an upright stand mixer (photo 3).
After kneading the dough and ensuring you have a smooth dough (photo 4), (about 10 minutes by hand) you will divide the dough into 8 equal portions (115 grams or 4 ounces each piece) (photo 5) and shape each piece into balls (photo 6).
Now if you are like me, you will use a scale to help ensure that all pieces are similar in weight so that your bagels are all pretty close in size, but it's not necessary to do so!
Personally, I find the easiest way to shape bagels is to form balls and then poke a hole right in the middle of the ball of dough (photo 7). Then, using your fingers, you stretch the center out to create a 2-inch center hole.
After forming the bagels, place on a baking tray and cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with cooking oil (photo 8).
I like to use a silicone baking sheet because I've found that it decreases the chance of over-browning the underside of the bagels. Place the covered bagels directly into the refrigerator for next day baking.
Increasing flavor
I always opt to refrigerate my bagels after shaping them in order to slow the rise. This also increases flavor, as slow rise dough enhances the fermentation of the dough. In the morning, you simply boil and bake the bagels and you'll have fresh bagels within an hour or less!
Boiling the bagels and suggested toppings
Just prior to baking, you will prepare a kettle bath (see below) that can include just plain ole water or water with a flavoring like barley malt syrup, brown sugar, or honey, and salt.
I used water and a tablespoon or so of barley malt syrup for flavoring. Really no measuring required here - Just ensure the water is deep enough to allow the bagels to float and that the water has a nice warm color (if you opt to add flavoring).
I feel that the use of the kettle bath with barley malt syrup gives these bagels that truly distinct NY bagel flavor, and it also sets the crust before baking, giving you that bagel-y chewy crust and dense interior. If you don't have barley malt syrup, don't worry! Use brown sugar or honey instead.
*Make sure your kettle water is boiling well because this is also where your bagels will grow in size (as well as during baking). The photo is a bit deceiving as it doesn't truly show the rolling boil, which is important to obtain.
Here's what my bagels looked like after the kettle bath and after topping. Pictured below are plain bagels, poppy seeds bagels, and "everything topping" bagels (poppy seeds, sesame seeds, dried minced garlic, dried minced onion, and coarse salt). There is also cornmeal sprinkled on bottom.
Top tips for making NY style bagels
- Use a good quality flour; I always try to use bread flour but you can also use a good all-purpose flour (make sure it has at least 3 to 4 grams protein per serving on nutrition label). Higher is better.
- Consider using vital wheat gluten, which is widely available in supermarkets. Vital wheat gluten will increase the protein content of the flour and give you more crisp and chew.
- Make sure you knead the dough well; usually this dough is hand kneaded because it is a pretty tough to knead using conventional mixers. (However, this recipe is a bit easier to mix than other traditional doughs because it has a bit more water in it).
- When you get to the boiling stage, make sure your kettle/water bath is deep enough for the bagels to float in and replenish the water if it boils off too much for second batch (assuming you are boiling 3 or 4 at a time).
- Make sure the kettle water reaches a rolling boil, otherwise, the bagels will not puff up a lot during this stage.
- If the water isn't deep enough in the boiling pan, the bagels can stick to the bottom of the pan.
- You can boil the bagels for 45 seconds to 2 minutes on each side; taking care to flip them over gently. If the bagels deflate in the water, they proofed too long (risen too much).
- The longer boiling time will give you a thicker crust and shorter times result in thinner crust. To begin, use the shorter boiling times listed.
- Egg wash is NOT needed; the kettle bath gives these bagels a nice shiny finish.
- Barley malt syrup can be found on Amazon or at the health food store; if you can't find it, don't worry, use honey, or brown sugar.
- I use parchment or silicone baking sheets to prevent over browning on the bottom of bagels.
- More tips on making great bagels from New Yorker Bagels
- Also see Troubleshooting bagels from Serious Eats
How to store bagels?
Bagels keep for 1 day at room temperature when stored in a paper bag. After 1 day, slice bagels and freeze them in plastic bags for up to one month. Thaw or toast bagels after freezing.
My conclusion!
I must say, these bagels were amazing!!! And, they are totally worth the effort. Even around these parts, it's difficult to get "real" bagels. Sadly, many many versions are just "bagel-shaped rolls".
I often double the recipe and freeze the extras. Sooo good!!
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📖 Recipe
Authentic New York-style Bagels
Equipment
- baking sheets
- Large shallow pot (deep enough for at least 3 or 4 bagels to float in water.)
- Slotted spoon helpful to remove bagels from boiling water.
Ingredients
For The Dough:
- 4 ⅓ cups (541.67 g) bread flour*
- 1 teaspoon dry yeast (overnight bagels) (1 tablespoon for same-day bagels)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar or diastatic malt powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 ⅓ cups (315.45 g) warm water (overnight bagels) (1.5 cups for same-day bagels)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten (*optional*) OPTIONAL, 1. to 1.5 tablespoons (increases the protein content of flour)
For the kettle water:
- (3 quarts) water (just use enough to allow at least 3 or 4 bagels to float without touching bottom of pan)
- (1 tablespoon) brown sugar, honey, or barley malt syrup** (enough to tint water golden color; can also simply use plain water)
- ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) salt
For baking:
- cornmeal enough to dust baking sheets
OPTIONAL "everything bagel topping" (or purchase already mixed)***:
- 2 tablespoon Sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoon Poppy seeds
- 1 tablespoon Dried minced onion
- 2 teaspoon Dried minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon Coarse salt
Instructions
To Mix the Dough:
- Add all dry ingredients to a medium sized bowl or in the bowl of a standing mixer and blend.
- Note: Please see directions on your brand of yeast. If it requires activation by adding water and/or sugar, use some from the amounts stated in the recipe. RedStar/SAF (instant or active yeast) does NOT require activation but Fleishman's active dry yeast does.
- Add wet ingredients (oil and water) to dry ingredients and knead until dough in smooth (10 to 12 minutes in mixer or as long as needed by hand; may also knead in food processor for up to 90 seconds and finish by hand kneading if needed). If using food processor, you may need to split dough into two batches depending on size of appliance.
- Do a window pane test: take a small walnut sized piece of dough and try to stretch it out very thinly until it is almost "transparent" - this suggests your dough has been kneaded enough.
- Rest dough for 10 minutes and then divide into 8 pieces (if weighing about 115 grams or 4 ounces for each bagel)
- Shape dough pieces into balls by rolling on countertop using slight pressure from palm of your hand, and then let the balls rest on counter for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, sprinkle with cornmeal, and set aside.
- Poke hole in center of each balls with your index finger and form into bagels by gently stretching the hole out to about 2 inches in width, and then place on prepared baking sheet.
For Same Day Baking
- Cover bagels with plastic wrap (spray tops of bagels or bottom of wrap so it doesn't stick to bagels) and let bagels rise for about 20 minutes in warmer weather or 30 minutes in cooler kitchens. (Float test: Bagels are ready for boil and bake if they float in a bowl of water.)
For Next Day Baking
- Spray top of bagels with cooking spray and top with plastic wrap, place in the refrigerator, and then proceed the next day by following "To Boil and Bake Bagels" section below. No need to bring bagels to room temperature after refrigerating.
To Boil and Bake the Bagels
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees (Do NOT use convection)
- In the meantime, bring kettle water to a boil in a large flat pan with deep sides (saute pan or broiler pan)
- When water is boiling, add bagels to water (enough to fit without crowding) and boil bagels for about 30 to 45 seconds and then flip them over and boil for another 30 to 45 seconds on the other side. (You can boil for up to 2 minutes per side but note that the bagels may be more apt to deflate during a longer boil.)
- Drain bagels using slotted spoon and place onto a baking sheet that has been dusted with cornmeal.
- If desired, top with your favorite bagel topping (ie, everything seasoning) or leave them plain.
- Place bagels into the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden (begin checking bagels at about 13 minutes). You can use parchment or silicone baking mat but I've often also used simply cornmeal dusted plain baking sheet.
Storage
- Bagels are best enjoyed the same day as baking. For leftovers, slice and freeze in airtight bag.
To Make the Everything Topping
- Mix all ingredients together and store extra in plastic bag.
Notes
- Use a good quality flour; I always try to use bread flour but you can also use a good all-purpose flour (make sure it has at least 4 grams protein per serving on nutrition label)
- Consider using vital wheat gluten, which is widely available in supermarkets. Vital wheat gluten will increase the protein content of the flour and give you such a beautiful crisp and chew.
- Make sure you knead the dough well; usually this dough is hand kneaded because it is a pretty tough to knead using conventional mixers. (This recipe is a bit easier to mix than other traditional doughs because it has a bit more water in it).
- When you get to the boiling stage, make sure your kettle/water bath is deep enough for the bagels to float in and replenish the water if it boils off too much for second batch (assuming you are boiling 3 or 4 at a time).
- Make sure the kettle water reaches a rolling boil, otherwise, the bagels will not puff up a lot during this stage.
- If the water isn't deep enough in the boiling pan, the bagels can stick to the bottom of the pan.
- You can boil the bagels for 30 t0 45 seconds (up to 2 minutes) on each side; taking care to flip them over gently. If the bagels deflate in the water, they proofed too long (risen too much) or were boiled for too long.
- The longer boiling time will give you a thicker crust and shorter times result in thinner crust. To begin, use the shorter boiling times listed.
- Egg wash is NOT needed; the kettle bath gives these bagels a nice shiny finish (using convection setting will blow bagels dry and decrease shine).
- I sometimes use parchment or silicone baking sheets to prevent over browning on the bottom of bagels.
Nutrition
*Recipe updated on July 15th to add more detailed instruction and adjust yeast and water for overnight proofing.
Marie says
This recipe is misleading. Had my hope up. The water is just not the right amount. The flour and water ratio makes for pie crust looking dough with plenty of dry flour left over. There is just too much flour and not enough water to form a ball. There is no way that this is right or that it will work. I had to increase the water. Maybe a scaled recipe would be best or perhaps a video of this Very dough would help us who could not get this to work with such small amount of water. How can this flour be baked and turn out into a bagel when it won’t come together to form a ball of dough. I will go back to my old recipe.
Marie says
Hi Marie - did you use a scale? That's the most accurate method to measure for bread baking and it's actually easier in my opinion. The recipe isn't as low hydration as some other real/authentic bagels - but I know a lot of recipes for home bakers will increase the water to make kneading easier but honestly, in my imo that's not a real bagel. If you've found something that works, stick with it. That said, there are no errors in this recipe as you can see by the many reviews. The baker's percentages are in the notes for you to compare to other bagel recipes. True bagels are low hydration (in the 50%) and have a high gluten flour. Not easy to make and that's why they are a true treasure!
Donna says
My dough seems too dry! I added a bit more water but the window pane test is a failure! I am going to try to finish them off in the morning. Any idea what I did wrong? I did go over the recipe several times and I just can’t figure out where I went wrong. Thanks!
Marie says
Hard to say - I would say next time definitely knead more and let it relax a bit in between tries. This dough can be challenging so increasing the water does help a LOT but you lose a little bit of that dense authentic result. In my opinion, the trade off is worth it. Hope it all works out ok. Do a float test before you boil them. if the bagels float in a bowl of water they are ready and if you see them deflate while boiling make sure to cut back the boil time for the next few.
Linda says
I made this today, and they came out perfect. My husband and grandson loved them. I actually had my grandson help shape the bagel with the hole in the center. Lots of fun for a 4-year-old. I love this recipe as he can eat them when he can't eat store-bought bagels. We will probably eat them all within a day or two. Thanks for the perfect recipe for the bagels.
Marie says
Happy to hear it! They’re fun to make 😃
Susanne sacco says
if the dough breaks apart instead of window pane....not kneaded enough? Hopefully not over kneaded!
Marie says
Most likely not over-kneaded - this would be tough to overknead. Sometimes a brief rest helps and other times a tablespoon or 2 more water helps just after mixing.
Susanne sacco says
Do you think it is okay to use canola oil? All I have on hand and I'm about to go for it. Thanks
Marie says
I think it would be fine yes
Louise Ste Claire says
This is the best bagel recipe. (And I've tried a few). The flavor is definitely improved by slow rising overnight, aside from the fact that you can have freshly baked bagels the next morning. I allow the bagels to warm up for about 45 minutes after removing them from the refrigerator.. I then steam for 5 minutes rather than boil them before baking. This gives them the effect of adding steam while they're in the oven, but saves your oven from eventually rusting out.
Marie says
Interesting! I’ll have to try this. I use hot wet towels in a casserole dish or ice cubes on over floor but never thought about oven rusting yikes.
Michelle W says
How do I get the risen bagels off the parchment paper without them deflating and deforming??
Marie says
Hi Michelle, I've never had a problem - can you gently lift off? If not I would spray the parchment next time with cooking spray
El says
I think the water amount is far too little. I've done this recipe 3x now and even 1.75 seems on the dry side (same day) i also think 450 gives too much brown too fast so I bake at 400. The malt powder really makes the bagels. I oil mine up before putting on a silicone sheet and cover. They may misshapen or get squished some when removing from the boil but they puff up nice when baking again
Marie says
It is a very low hydration dough and you certainly can add water. Those chewy dense bagels in NYC are definitely low hydration and that's what makes them hard to replicate if you ask me - it's tough to knead that dough! but I'm glad you like it with modifications. Interesting about the oven - 450 works really well for me but I might try to lower and see how it works.
Kaci says
Can I make the dough for overnight and shape bagels in the morning? I have had difficulty with the recipe (most recipes I have tried) when shaping bagels then refrigerating. Often flat. Thanks
Marie says
I would recommend shaping into balls, refrigerating and then the next day shape (ie, poke the hole, shape and let rise). When the bagel floats in a bowl of water it is ready for boiling and baking
Kris Marie says
Hi Marie, do you have a recipe for cinnamon raisin bagels? I’d like to stick with this recipe and just add cinnamon and raisins to the dough mixture, would that work? I make this recipe every week as I’ve stopped buying store bagels! Thank you.
Scott says
I'm from Long Island, and love a "real" NYC bagel! The flavor was delicious, but, I think I screwed up somewhere. Bagels were small 3.5" across. The dough never rose while resting. It also never puffed up during the boil. Actually, all of the bagels sunk to the bottom of the pan during the boil.
I used well water that worked well for sourdough and other bread I've baked. Each bagel weighed 4 oz. but, since they were so small, they were also super dense. There were no air cells or pockets of air in the bagels.
I had my wife bring back some NYC water on her last trip into NY, (we're in PA now) but I FORGOT TO USE IT for this batch! D'oh!
Any ideas where I could have messed up? The bagel dough never got to the point where I could stretch it thin. It just tore. Longer kneading, more water? I used a stand mixer, for 10 minutes in 2 batches, then changed over to kneading by hand for another 10 minutes when the dough was just too dense for the stand mixer.
Any ideas?
Thank you for all of your wonderful recipies.
Marie says
Hi Scott, yes, I have a few ideas. I think the easiest to solve is that the bagels should float in a bowl of water when they are ready to boil so if they sank, they were definitely underproofed. The overnight proofing is hard because we all are working with different kitchen temps and different fridge temps so I may end up changing the recipe at bit so that the dough is balled and shaped in the AM, then final proof and boil/bake.
Getting a windowpane can be tough - make sure you're using a good quality flour and if you have to rest the dough a little between kneading that can help a lot. The windowpane ensures that your dough is strong enough to hold the rise/air bubbles. Oh, and don't worry about the water. Some of the best pizza, for example, is made in Phoenix 🙂 Or so I hear...I'm on the East Coast.
Courtney says
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! They turn out fantastic every time. On a side note, I love pumpkin and am on a mission to make as many pumpkin recipes as possible. Have you ever tried adding pumpkin? Do you have any recommendations? Thanks for an amazing recipe!
Marie says
Oh that sounds so good I’m going to put pumpkin on my list to try! I’ll have to experiment a little - perfect for fall!
Courtney says
Please let us know how it goes!!
Tara says
Hi Marie!
How would you adjust the wet ingredients here if you were making egg bagels?
Marie says
Hi Tara, I haven't made egg bagels but it appears that there is typically 1 egg per cup of flour in most recipes (some do 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk for bright yellow bagels). That said, you must then reduce the amount of water in the recipe when you add eggs. If you add 4 large eggs, reduce the water by 171 grams. If you add 4 large eggs plus 4 egg yolks, reduce the water by 225 grams.
Rationale: If you are using large eggs, which weight about 57 grams (and are 75% water), you are adding this amount of water: 4 x 57 g = 228 grams (times 75% = 171 grams). If you add 4 eggs (228 grams) plus 4 egg yolks (72 grams) per 4 cups of flour, the total eggs added would be 300 grams times 75% water = 225 grams of water to be omitted from the recipe.
I hope that helps and please let me know how they come out!
Kris Marie says
I have a batch in my oven now, made them yesterday afternoon. Used 2 1/3 cups bread flour and 2 cups whole wheat flour. Also used the powdered malt and the gluten flour, I top with the everything topping, I also add that liquid barley malt in the water. I've been successful in baking these at 435 degrees and checking at 11 minutes just in case I need to lightly cover with aluminum foil to prevent burning the topping. This is really a great combination! Thank you again!
Chester says
Correction: Diastatic malt powder. "Diastolic" is the bottom number of a blood pressure reading.
Marie says
😂😂👍
Kris Marie says
These were absolutely delicious! But how do I keep my everything topping from slightly burning? Thank you. Making and freezing another batch!
Kris Marie says
Hi Marie, can I use the barley malt syrup in the dough instead of the 2 teaspoons brown sugar or diastolic malt powder? Making these tomorrow. Thank you. I did buy the vital wheat gluten!
Marie says
Yes! Sorry for the late response
Kris Marie says
I went ahead and ordered the malt powder. Will these bagels be okay if I make them Thursday and leave them in the refrigerator until Saturday morning to finish off? I’ve been re-reading the comments and I don’t want to overproof the bagels. Thank you.
Marie says
Should be okay but try to make sure the dough isn’t too warm when you place in fridge and make sure your fridge isn’t running too high. The goal is to prevent the bagels from overproofing. When you get to the boiling stage reduce boil time if you find they are collapsing - I’d try one first before boiling a few at once
Kris Marie says
Still waiting for the malt powder, so it’s 3:35 pm on Thursday and I have yet to make the dough….what is the maximum or ideal time to keep the bagels in the fridge? Thank you.
Becky says
These were fabulous! Two things I did that were mistakes but worked out OK- I accidentally added about 1.5 teaspoons too much vital gluten (was running back and forth to my computer to check the recipe while doing other tasks also) I started this recipe so late at night that I decided to put the entire dough ball in the fridge and split them the next day. The biggest issue here was that the gluten developed enough overnight that it was hard to get them smooth and even the next day, so the shapes weren't terribly uniform making them harder to cut in half, but they were still AMAZING. As a final comment, I didn't have a large pan to use, so we used my wok. This worked great since the surface area was so broad!
If I wanted to do cinnamon raisin bagels, would it be as simple as adding cinnamon/sugar and fruit when kneading the dough, or would there be other tweaks to the recipe?
Thanks for this fantastic recipe! It was my first attempt at bagels and in spite of my blunders, my hubby deemed them a complete success!
Marie says
That's great! I agree that the bagels are much harder to shape after gluten development. For the mix ins, I haven't done a lot, but when I do I add right during the initial mix - makes it easy for sure. Happy Baking!
Pete says
These bagels are amazing!!! Just a couple questions, 1, do you use barley malt syrup in the dough mix or just the diastolic powder? 2, the water levels for the dough doesn’t always make my dough complete. I often have to add alittle extra. Is that common?
Marie says
I use either brown sugar or the diastolic malt powder in the dough and then the barley malt syrup in the kettle water for boiling them. And yes, absolutely add water if the dough is too dry. Depends on your flour and I have done this too. Thanks for the kind words!
Pat P says
Can this recipe be used adding mini chocolate chips? What measure of chocolate chips would you recommend?
Marie says
I haven't tried but yes, you definitely could. I would try 1/2 cup to start...