Bread Machine Bagel Recipe
Inside: This bread machine bagel recipe is easy enough to make first thing in the morning. You can add add-ins to really make them your own.
My bagels rarely have holes in them. And that's okay with us because it just gives us more surface for spreads. I have been making this bread machine bagel recipe for years, at least 12 years in fact. We love them, and they are super easy to make using your bread machine.
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Bread Machine Bagel Recipe
It had been a little while since I made bagels again, but then I started making pans of baked eggs. Now we have instant bagel egg sandwiches for breakfast on the go. Or at least a filling, delicious breakfast that my kids can grab themselves in the morning while I drink my coffee.
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What You Need:
- 1 tsp yeast
- 1 1/4 cup warm water
- 1/4 c margarine, softened
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 3/4 cup flour
- 1 tsp salt
How to Make Bread Machine Bagels
Add yeast and sugar to your bread machine pan, and add the warm water. Let it sit for a few minutes before adding anything else to give the yeast time to activate.
Add in the remaining ingredients. Saving the salt for last. Salt can kill your yeast leaving you with flat dough, and no one wants flat bagels when you can have fluffy bagels.
Set on a dough setting. I use the bread dough setting which is 23 minutes long.
Cut into 12 equal pieces. Shape into bagels, I do this by pressing my thumbs into the center of the pieces and stretching them into exaggerated bagels. Larger holes give room for the dough to rise.
Let rise in a warm place. Covered. Leave be for 30 minutes.
Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.
The majority of the time that I make bagels I do an egg yolk wash over the top of the bagels and sprinkle on some everything bagel seasoning that I make.
Add-ins for Bagels
You can add in any seasonings that you enjoy. Do you have a favorite bagel from Tim Hortons that you like to order? Recreate it.
- raisin and cinnamon
- fresh blueberries
- cheddar cheese
- everything bagel seasoning
- cheddar cheese and diced jalapenoes (our favorite!)
Why Are My Bagels Flat?
There are a couple of reasons why your bagels have gone flat.
- they over-proofed – over-proofing happens when the dough has been proofed too long and the air bubbles have popped. You'll know your dough is over-proofed if, when poked, it never springs back. This can happen from sitting too long before cooking
- they didn't rise long enough, the opposite of over-proofing
- yeast issues – your yeast didn't activate. Whether this is from too cold or too hot of water, or maybe your yeast has gone bad
Bread Machine Bagel Recipe
This bread machine bagel recipe is easy enough to make first thing in the morning. You can add add-ins to really make them your own.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp yeast
- 1 1/4 c warm water
- 1/4 c margarine, softened
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 3/4 c flour
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Add yeast and sugar to your bread machine pan, and add the warm water. Let it sit for a few minutes to give the yeast time to activate.
- Add in remaining ingredients. Saving the salt for last. Salt can kill your yeast leaving you with flat dough.
- Set on a dough setting.
- Cut into 12 equal pieces.
- Shape into bagels, I do this by pressing my thumbs into the center of the pieces and stretching them into exaggerated bagels. Larger holes give room for the dough to rise.
- Let rise in a warm place. Covered. Leave be for 30 minutes.
- Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.
Notes
You can add additional ingredients to a point. such as everything bagel seasoning.
Frequently Asked Questions About Making Bagels
Can I make bagel dough entirely in the bread machine? Yes! You can use your bread machine on the dough setting to mix and knead the bagel dough. Once the cycle is complete, remove the dough, shape the bagels by hand, let them rest, then boil and bake them in your oven. The bread machine handles the hard work — you finish the traditional bagel steps.
Why do I have to boil bagels before baking? Boiling is what gives bagels their signature chewy texture and shiny crust. The quick boil (usually 30–60 seconds per side) sets the outer layer of the dough before baking. Skipping this step will give you round bread rolls instead of true bagels.
For extra chew and browning, you can add honey, sugar, or barley malt syrup to the boiling water.
Why are my homemade bagels dense? Bagels are naturally denser than regular bread, but if they’re overly heavy, it’s usually due to:
- Too much flour
- Not enough kneading
- Not allowing the dough to rest after shaping
- Old yeast
Bagel dough should be firm but slightly tacky. If it’s dry and stiff, they’ll turn out overly dense after baking.
