Simple Bagel Recipe for No Knead Bagels

I love a bagel. I like them for breakfast fresh from the bakers, spread with butter and drizzled with honey. I like them for lunch filled with smoked salmon and cream cheese. And I like them lightly toasted with hot salty bacon inside for a more savory breakfast.

Where we currently live, bagels are not available. So, I decided that as I have mastered baking bread (without kneading it at all!) I would try creating home made bagels too.

The only research I did for this recipe was to understand ‘hydration’ so that I would have a dough that would work for homemade bagels. And with that information, I then modified my original no knead bread recipe to work for this.

Let me present to you the only simple bagel recipe for no knead bagels that you’ll ever need.

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Kitchen Bits You’ll Need

The essential kitchen bits you’ll need to make this [insert recipe name] are:

• Measuring cups & spoons
• Bowl
• Whisk
• Metal spoon
• Saucepan
• Slotted spoon
• Baking tray
• Baking paper

Ingredients You’ll Need

Most of these you’ll find in your store cupboard, so you have no excuse not to have a go!

Flour

I read many times that bagels required a high protein flour like bread flour, in order to work. This is rubbish. I used all-purpose / plain flour, and my bagels were perfect! They weren’t as dry as shop bought ones, but that works for me.

Salt

I add half the amount from my regular bread recipe, and it works well for me.

Sugar

To add a touch of sweetness to the bagels – it is barely noticeable though.

Yeast

I use the same amount as I do for my easy no-knead bread recipe, and it works perfectly.

Water

Using less water in my bagel dough makes for a solid bagel. Don’t panic at how ‘dry’ the dough feels, it will work out, I promise! And it should be lukewarm to touch.

Egg

This is optional. The first time I made my own bagels, I coated the tops with egg yolk to get a shiny finish, but it actually made them a bit stinky, so now I don’t bother.

Sesame Seeds

Another optional item, the sesame seeds stick to the bagels when damp from simmering in a pot of water. approximately half will fall off when you slice the bagel, so I always put a little too many sesame seeds on to offset this.

Specific Ingredient Amounts

• 500g flour
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 sachet (7g) instant yeast
• 300ml water
• 1 egg white (optional)
• 2 tbsp. sesame seeds

Substitutions To Consider

Sesame seeds: You could use poppy seeds, or sunflower seeds instead, if sesame seeds aren’t your thing.

Making The No Knead Bagels

When I say that my no knead bagels is the easiest way to make bagels, I do not lie. In fact, I may have accidentally mentioned how easy they are to the other half, as he now silently requests them on an almost weekly basis by buying smoked salmon and cream cheese when he pops to the shops!

Step 1: Place all the dry ingredients in a bowl and use a whisk to combine them well.

Step 2: Pour the water in and stir the dough with a metal spoon. The dough will be drier than you’re used to which is normal for bagels. Cover and leave to prove for an hour.

Step 3: Knock the dough back using a spoon of your choice. Cover and leave for another hour.

Step 4: Fill a pan of water and bring to the boil. Lower the heat to a steady simmer. You can also preheat your oven to gas mark 5 at this point as well!

Step 5: Turn the dough out onto a board and divide into six roughly equal pieces. You will have to use your hands for the next step, but it’s fun!

Step 6: Take one piece of dough into your hands and kind of throw it between the two. We want to knock back the dough a bit, to get the denseness of a bagel, and I find throwing between my hands worked. Make a hole in the middle with your finger and swirl the dough around that finger until it is bigger, and the dough looks like a donut!

Step 7: Once you’re happy with the size, drop the bagel dough carefully into the pan of simmering water. After 30 seconds, use the slotted spoon to carefully turn the bagel over. After the second half minute is up, remove from the water and place on a lined baking sheet.

Repeat steps 6 and 7 for the remaining balls of bagel dough.

Step 8: When all are on the baking sheet, grab an egg and separate the white from the yolk. Brush the white over all the bagels. I used my fingers, but you can use whatever you have available.

Step 9: If you want to, now is the time to cover the tops with sesame seeds. I did four with and two without.

Step 10: Place the tray of bagels in the middle of the oven and bake for 22-ish minutes. Once they are cooked, place them on a wire rack to cool.

Things to Note

If using sesame seeds (or other seed types) to coat your bagels, you may need to use a lower oven temperature so that they don’t burn. If so, you can just extend the baking time slightly.

Serve Them With…

I mentioned in the intro that I love a bagel with smoked salmon most of all. With a good spreading of cream cheese, a squeeze of lemon and a crunching of freshly ground black pepper, this is a perfect late breakfast or early lunch option for me when working from home.

I also like them un-toasted with a fried egg…

…and the sesame bagels are great toasted with crispy bacon inside!

That said, I also love to toast a bagel and spread it with butter and honey for a delicious and guilt-free sweet treat. Yum.