Making bread machine bagels is a great way to reduce the time and effort for your favorite breakfast bread. With this recipe and tips, you can make them by hand or with your bread maker.
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I love homemade fresh bagels from the oven, but I hate all of the kneading and work that goes into them. Thankfully, with a bread machine by my side, I can have incredible bread maker bagels with a lot less effort!
Bagels that are made fresh at home are so different than the ones you buy bagged in the store. They're fresher, crispy, chewy, and downright delicious. Like you'd expect from Panera or another bagel making company.
You're going to love these plain bagels because they can be a versatile addition to your breakfast routine. Add everything bagel seasoning, leave plain, or add in spices and dried fruits. There are so many possibilities!
If you love bagels, make sure to check out my Banana Nut Bagels, Cinnamon Raisin Bagels, Blueberry Bagel Bread Pudding, and Cranberry Orange Bagels.
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Buzz From Readers
"This is my go to bagel recipe! Perfect everytime!"
- Kim
💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- By hand or by machine. Instructions are included for both bread machine and hand made bagels, so you can use whichever method is most convenient.
- Simple ingredients. Made with basic pantry staples like flour, sugar, salt, yeast, and water, keeping costs low and shopping easy.
- Fresh and satisfying. These homemade Bread Machine Bagels bake up with a chewy outside and soft center, making them hard to resist straight from the oven.
🛒 Ingredients
Warm water. About 110°F to activate the yeast.
Sugar. Feeds the yeast and helps create a chewier exterior during boiling.
Bread flour. Provides structure and chew. All purpose flour can be used, but add water slowly since it hydrates differently.
Active dry yeast. Use fresh, properly stored yeast.
Egg. Brushed on top after boiling to give the bagels a golden finish.
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Use pantry staples. Flour, yeast, sugar, and salt are inexpensive when purchased in bulk.
Skip specialty toppings. Plain bagels are versatile and don't require extra ingredients.
Freeze extras. Bagels freeze beautifully, helping reduce waste and future grocery trips.
🥄 Instructions for Bread Machine Bagels
The by-hand instructions are included on the recipe card below.
Step 1: Place all of your ingredients in the bread machine in the order listed by the owner's manual. Select the dough setting and wait for it to complete.
Step 2: Punch down the dough and place it on a lightly floured surface. Divide it into 6 equal sized bagels. (Images 5 & 6)
Step 3: Roll the dough into balls. Flatten them and then use your thumb to create a hole in the center. Place them onto a lined baking sheet. (Images 7 & 8)
Step 4: Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap (Image 9 & 11) and let rest for at least 10 minutes while bringing a pot of water to a boil. Add 3 Tablespoons of sugar to the water. (Image 10)
Step 5: When the water is to a full rolling boil, drop your bagels in 2 or 3 at a time for exactly 1 minute. Flip them over after 30 seconds. (Image 12)
Step 6: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425F degrees.
Step 7: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and set aside.
Step 8: Remove the bagels and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
Step 9: In a bowl, beat your egg with a fork until well broken. Brush the tops of the bagels with beaten egg and add seasonings if desired. (Images 13 & 14)
Step 10: Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes until golden brown. (Image 15) Let rest for a minute before transferring to a wire cooling rack. (Image 16)
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Rising time. Let the shaped bagels rise up to 1 hour for extra chew, but even a quick 10 minute rise in a warm spot works well. I usually let them rise just long enough for the water to come to a boil.
- Shaping. The method in the recipe card gives the most even, traditional looking bagels. Rolling the dough into ropes and sealing the ends can work, but often leads to uneven texture and seams.
- Boiling gently. Use a flat spatula instead of a slotted spoon when boiling to avoid leaving marks on the bagels.
- Sugar swaps. The sugar in the boiling water can be reduced or replaced with honey or another sweetener if preferred.
❄️ Storage and Make Ahead
Storage: Store Bread Machine Bagels in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5-7 days.
Make Ahead: Baked bagels can be frozen for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature and toast when ready.
🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas
These bread machine bagels pair well with cream cheese, butter, fruit spreads, eggs, fresh fruit, or as part of a simple breakfast or brunch spread.
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❓ Bread Machine Bagels FAQs
Yes, you can, but there are a few things to note. Using all purpose flour will give you a completely different texture and taste in the bagels unless you add to it an ingredient called Vital Wheat Gluten. This should be added at a ratio of 1-3 teaspoons per cup of AP Flour.
This helps to give the regular flour enough protein to work with to form the gluten you would expect from bread flour.
Unfortunately, overproofing dough is a very real thing and is a possibility with any yeast dough. While recipe cards will give an estimate of how long to let things rise, you should trust your eyes. You know the dough has proofed enough when it has doubled in size.
Overproofing the dough can cause the bread to collapse on itself during the baking process and come out flat.
High-gluten bread flour is commonly used for bagels because it results in the desired chewy texture, but all-purpose flour can be used as well.
🍽️ More Recipes You'll Love
- Cinnamon Raisin BagelsRecipe $2.07 / Serving $0.35
- Sourdough Discard BagelsRecipe $2.63 / Serving $0.29
- Cranberry Orange BagelsRecipe $3.17 / Serving $0.53
- Banana Nut BagelsRecipe $2.94 / Serving $0.49
🐝 If you tried these Bread Machine Bagels, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Bread Machine Bagels
Equipment
- Bread Machine or a large mixing bowl
Ingredients
Bagel Dough
- 1 cup warm water (110°F) - ($0.00)
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast - ($0.38)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar - ($0.05)
- 3 cups bread flour - ($0.75)
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt - ($0.01)
Boiling Bath
- 3 quarts water - ($0.00)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar - ($0.07)
Eggwash
- 1 egg, lightly beaten - ($0.15)
Instructions
Bread Machine Instructions
- Make the dough. Add all dough ingredients to the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select the dough setting and allow the cycle to complete.
- Shape. Punch down the dough, transfer to a lightly floured surface, and divide into 6 equal pieces. Roll into balls, flatten slightly, and press your thumb through the center to form a hole.
- Rest and boil. Cover bagels and rest for at least 10 minutes. Meanwhile, bring the water and sugar to a rolling boil.
- Boil. Drop bagels into the boiling water 2 to 3 at a time for exactly 1 minute, flipping after 30 seconds.
- Prep for baking. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- Egg wash and bake. Transfer bagels to the prepared baking sheet, brush with beaten egg, and add seasonings if desired. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Cool. Let bagels rest briefly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
By Hand Instructions
- Activate the yeast. Combine warm water and yeast in a large bowl and let sit for 10 minutes, until frothy.
- Mix the dough. Add sugar and salt, then gradually mix in flour until a dough forms that pulls away from the bowl. You may not need all of the flour.
- Knead. Knead on a lightly floured surface for about 8 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Dough should spring back when pressed.
- Rise. Return dough to the bowl, cover, and let rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Continue. Proceed with shaping, resting, boiling, egg wash, and baking steps above.
Notes
- Rise time: Let shaped bagels rest for up to 1 hour for a lighter texture, or 10 minutes for chewier bagels.
- Shaping: Use the thumb poke method rather than rolling dough ropes for better appearance.
- Proofing: Dough is ready when doubled in size. Avoid over proofing, which can cause collapse during baking.
- Boiling: Remove bagels gently to avoid marks on the surface.
Nutritional Information
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Cathy says
How do you make whole wheat bagels?
Nicole Durham says
I’d recommend not starting with 100% whole wheat right away. A 50/50 blend of all-purpose (or bread flour) and whole wheat works best for texture. Use 1½ cups white flour + 1½ cups whole wheat, and increase the water by about ¼ cup (so 1¼ cups total), since whole wheat absorbs more liquid. This keeps the bagels chewy instead of dense.
Kelly says
I just made these this morning they are the best! Thank you for the recipe 😊
Nicole Durham says
Thank you for trying them! I'm so glad you like them 🙂
Claire says
My husband loved these. Could I make them to the shaped stage and refrigerate overnight to bake fresh in the morning?
Nicole Durham says
Yes, that should be fine. Let them sit at room temperature for about 30min while you bring the water to a boil and preheat the oven.
Claire says
Wonderful.
Cathy Rooney says
I want to make egg bagels. How many eggs needed and how do I alter the other ingredients? Made this recipe twice and we loved it!
Nicole Durham says
Add in 1 egg or 1 egg + 1 yolk, reduce the water to 3/4 cup and then only add in more a tablespoon at a time as needed and it should be fine.
Kim says
This is my go to bagel recipe! Perfect everytime!
Nicole Durham says
So glad to hear it!
Kim says
Love this recipe, going to try some inclusions with it!
Meredith says
Delicious!!
Susan says
Made these today I even added grated cheese to a couple of them. They all turned out great. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Michele says
Can you add fresh blueberries to this recipe and at what point should they be added. Thanks
Nicole Durham says
yes fresh blueberries can be added. i recommend making sure that they are washed and dried well, or even frozen before mixing them into the dough just before shaping. ..so make the dough as directed, let it rise, and then punch down and lightly mix in the blueberries before shaping into bagels and continuing as directed. frozen fresh blueberries work best because they're less likely to burst from rough handling, so a good idea is to lay them flat on a baking sheet and freeze while the dough is being made.
Rachel says
These turned out wonderful! Making another batch today. Thanks for the recipe!
Nicole Durham says
Glad you liked them!