Easy Homemade Bagels

Ingredients

• 3 cups / 360 grams Unbleached All-Purpose White Flour, plus 2-3 TBLS for the work surface
• 1.5 cups / 427.5 grams Plain Greek Yogurt (make sure it is Greek Yogurt, and not Greek Style Yogurt, which is not as thick and has more water. It will cause the dough to become too sticky).
• 3/4 TSP Fine Sea Salt
• 4 TSP / 20 grams Baking Powder
• 1 Egg – beaten (for the egg wash)
• 1/2 TBLS Olive Oil (or any other cooking oil you prefer)
• Optional Toppings: Trader Joe’s Everything but the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend (or use a homemade everything bagel seasoning blend), crushed red pepper flakes, freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or cheddar cheese, flax seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 190°C / 375°F. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil or nonstick cooking paper and brush lightly with the olive oil. (Pro-tip: If using parchment paper or nonstick cooking paper, brush the corners underneath with a bit of oil so that it sticks to the baking tray.) Crack the egg into a bowl and beat until smooth.

2. 2

   In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, Greek yogurt, fine sea salt, and baking powder. Mix with a large spoon to combine for 3-4 minutes. At first, it may seem that it isn’t coming together, but be patient and continue mixing until it looks like small crumbled pieces of dough.

3. 3

   Use your hands to combine the dough crumbles and knead into a ball. Then lightly dust your work surface with flour and transfer the dough ball on to it. Knead for 2-5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. It shouldn’t stick to your hands. If it’s too sticky to deal with, add teaspoons of flour as needed. If it is too dry, add a teaspoon of water or as needed.

4. 4

   Roll the dough into a thick log and divide into six equal pieces. Roll one of the pieces into a thick rope (about 1-inch thick), then join the ends and pinch together to form the bagel shape. Place on the prepared baking tray, and then repeat with the remainder dough parts.

5. 5

   Lightly brush each bagel ring with the egg wash, then sprinkle the Everything Bagel Seasoning and/or other “optional toppings” of your choice.

6. 6

   Bake for 18 minutes, then increase the oven temperature to 230°C / 450°F and bake for a further 4-5 minutes or until the top of the bagels and golden brown and crisp. (Note: Keep an eye on them so that they don’t burn once you increase the temperature.)

7. 7

   Remove the baking tray from the oven and use tongs to transfer the bagels to a cooling rack. Allow to cool for 15 minutes at least, then slice, and enjoy!