Homemade Mini Bagels
A simple, chewy, confidence‑boosting recipe from a “Master Baker in progress”
For years I told myself, “I’m not a baker.” I loved savoury cooking, the kind where you toss in a little of this, a handful of that, and trust your instincts. Baking felt like the opposite: precise, measured, unforgiving. So I kept that narrative running and avoided anything that required a scale or a timer.
But the more home‑cooked food I’ve been eating, the harder it’s become to enjoy store‑bought baked goods. Bread and pastries just don’t taste the way they used to and once you notice that, it’s hard to go back. So I decided it was time to change my story. I am now officially a Master Baker in progress, and honestly… I’m having the best time.
I’ve been baking everything from cinnamon buns to cheese sticks, and then I landed on these homemade mini bagels. The recipe intimidated me at first because you have to boil the dough, and let me tell you, boiled bagels look and feel totally gross lol. But that step is the secret. After a quick egg wash and a bake, they come out perfectly chewy and golden. I’ve made a few batches now, and this is my favourite quick, easy base recipe. Add any topping you like, and you’ve got fresh bagels that stay delicious for up to four days (a quick toast brings them right back to soft and chewy).
Cooking Tip: Bloom Your Yeast
Before you mix your dough, take a moment to bloom the yeast. Stir the yeast into warm water with a spoonful of honey and let it sit until it becomes foamy and fragrant. This simple step wakes the yeast up and gives your dough a strong, healthy rise — especially important in recipes like bagels where texture is everything.
And speaking of honey…
Growing Our Plate: Why Local Honey Matters
If you can, choose local honey for blooming your yeast. Not only does it add a gentle sweetness, but it also supports the beekeepers and pollinators that keep our food system thriving. Local honey carries traces of the flowers and plants from your own region, and many people find it gentler on seasonal allergies because of that connection to the local landscape.
Supporting local honey producers also supports the bees and healthy bee populations mean healthier gardens, stronger farms, and more resilient ecosystems. It’s a small choice that ripples outward, aligning beautifully with our Growing Our Plate vision: growing, sourcing, and cooking in ways that nourish both our bodies and the environment.
Homemade Mini Bagels
Ingredients:
375 grams flour
1 tbsp local honey
1 ½ tsp pink salt
1 tsp instant yeast
225 g warm water
1 egg (for egg wash)
Directions:
Mix flour salt sugar and yeast in stand mixer , make a well in the center and add the warm water
Using dough hook attachment mix dough for a few min pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl until it comes together in shaggy ball
Knead the dough for a few min in mixer until smooth and slightly tacky. If sticking to the side dust with more flour
Shape dough into ball and place in lightly greased bowl, cover and let stand in warm area for 1 hour
Preheat oven to 425f and fill a large wide pot with water to boil bagels. You want a low boil, line a baking sheet with parchment to place bagels after boiling
Deflate your dough gently and divide dough into 12 even pieces (use a kitchen scale for accuracy)
Flatten the dough in palm of hands and tuck edges up and pinch together ontop. Flip the dough in your hands and create a ball
Once all balls and rolled poke a hole through the center with your thumb and pull gently to form bagel shape
Drop bagels in water and boil for 30 seconds per side ( depending on size of bowl, do only a few at a time) remove from water and place on baking sheet
Brush with egg wash and add desired toppings
Bake for 17-19 min until golden brown and shiny
Cool bagels on wire rack before serving
Stores for up to 4 days
BAGEL TOPPING / FLAVOUR COMBO
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