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Homemade Whole Wheat Bagels

June 17, 2014 30 Comments

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These Homemade Whole Wheat Bagels are one of the most popular recipes on my site. Have no fear, they’re much easier to make than you’d expect! The recipe makes 8 bagels, but they freeze and reheat well, so you can eat a few now and save the rest for later.

There are some foods I believe are worth buying rather than making yourself. If you asked me two years ago, I would have said bagels were one of them.

Homemade Whole Wheat Bagels Recipe l www.littlechefbigappetite.com 1

However, over the past year, I’ve been trying to master the art of whole-grain bread baking. Baking yeast breads (not quick-cooking) is very time consuming, so I don’t do it all that often, but when I make the time for it, the results are always marvelous.

Rolling Homemade Whole Wheat Bagels Recipe l www.littlechefbigappetite.com

These whole wheat bagels did not take nearly as long as some breads I’ve made in the past. They really only require one hour of “hands-on” time. You can handle that, can’t you?

Making Homemade Whole Wheat Bagels Recipe l www.littlechefbigappetite.com

I first attempted making bagels one time about a year ago, but this recipe turned out much, much better. I think having completed the process once before (errr…learning from my mistakes) really helped. Additionally, this time around I used White Whole Wheat flour, which makes for a lighter and less dense bagel than regular Whole Wheat flour.

Boiling Homemade Whole Wheat Bagels | www.littlechefbigappetite.com

If you make the dough the night before, like I did, all you have to do it pull it out of the fridge the next morning and allow it to come to room temperature (about 30 minutes). Before you know it, you will have freshly baked bagels within the hour!

Homemade Whole Wheat Bagels Recipe l www.littlechefbigappetite.com 2

You can top your bagels with whatever you like. I opted for sesame seeds and rolled oats. Next time I am going to take a stab at Cinnamon Raisin bagels – my childhood favorite.

Homemade Whole Wheat Bagels Recipe l www.littlechefbigappetite.com 3

After baking, these bagels are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. They are the perfect size for my liking (slightly smaller than the typical bakery bagel). We ate these as soon as I pulled them out of the oven alongside scrambled eggs. It was the perfect protein and whole-grain packed breakfast to keep us going until lunch.

Homemade Whole Wheat Bagels Recipe l www.littlechefbigappetite.com 4

If you are a beginner bread-maker, I urge you to try this recipe. It is simple, involves very little kneading, and doesn’t require the patience of a saint.

Go, get to it! The carbs are screaming your name!

Homemade Whole Wheat Bagels Recipe l www.littlechefbigappetite.com 5

 

Homemade Whole Wheat Bagels Recipe | www.littlechefbigappetite.com
Print
Easy Homemade Whole Wheat Bagels Recipe
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
25 mins
Rise Time
2 hrs
Total Time
1 hr 25 mins
 

Making 100% Whole Wheat Bagels at home is easier than you think, and you'll love the final product. The recipe makes 8 bagels, but they freeze and reheat well, so you can eat a few now and save the rest for later.

Course: Bread
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Bagels, whole wheat
Servings: 8 bagels
Author: Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)
Ingredients
Bagels
  • 1 package active dry yeast (about 1 TBSP)
  • 1 1/3 cups 11 oz warm water (not hot), divided
  • 3 Tablespoons sugar, divided
  • 3.5 cups White Whole Wheat Flour (16 oz.)
  • 2 teaspoons salt
Toppings (Optional)
  • 1 whole egg + 1 teaspoon water, beaten
  • Sesame Seeds
  • Rolled Oats
  • Poppy Seeds
  • Minced Garlic
  • Asiago Cheese
  • Sunflower Seeds
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl combine the yeast with 1/4 cup of the warm water and 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Stir to combine. Allow to sit for 10 minutes until the yeast mixture becomes foamy (if it does not foam then something is wrong with your yeast).
  2. In a large bowl combine the white whole wheat flour, yeast mixture, remaining water, remaining sugar, and salt. Knead for 10 minutes by hand or 5 minutes in a stand mixer. If the dough seems too dry, add an additional Tablespoon of water. Place the dough in a large clean and lightly greased mixing bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm place for 2 hours*. The dough should approximately double in size.
  3. Place the dough on a clean counter space or large cutting board. Divide the dough into 8 equal sized pieced. Roll each piece gently into a ball. Using your index finger, poke a hole in the middle of each ball. Gently pick up the dough and swirl it around your index finger a few times to make the hole a bit larger. Repeat with all of the balls of dough. Allow to rest for 15 minutes.
  4. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper (to prevent any possible sticking). While the dough is resting, bring a large pot of water to a low boil. Add 1 Tablespoon of sugar to the water. Drop half of the bagels into the pot. If they sink, allow them to float to the top (you may need to use a spoon to push them to the top). Once floating, boil the bagels for 1 minute and then flip and boil for an additional minute on the other side. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bagels. Place them on the baking sheet. Repeat until all bagels have been boiled.
  5. If you are using toppings for your bagels, liberally coat the tops of each bagel with the egg wash. Sprinkle the toppings onto the bagels. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake for an additional 10 minutes. The bagels should be golden brown on top. Allow to bake a few additional minutes longer for crispier bagels.
Notes

*Alternatively, you can put the dough in the fridge overnight for up to 12 hours and allow it to rise in the fridge. If you choose this option, make sure to allow the dough to come to room temperature before baking in the morning. Be cautious because the longer it sits, it will become sour (think sourdough).

 

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Easy Homemade Whole Wheat Bagels | www.littlechefbigappetite.com

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These Homemade Whole Wheat Bagels are easier to make than you'd expect and only take one hour! Try them for Sunday brunch this weekend! ll www.littlechefbigappetite.com

Filed Under: Bread and Muffins, Breakfast Tagged With: bagels, Whole Wheat

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. The Cookie Writer

    June 24, 2014 at 11:51 am

    These look awesome! I have made my own bread and should really expand to bagels, English muffins, etc. Ever since making homemade tortillas, I cannot go back to store-bought!

    Reply
    • Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)

      June 24, 2014 at 12:19 pm

      I hope you make them and love them as much as I did!

      Reply
  2. RealCheapFood

    January 28, 2015 at 5:53 am

    Thanks! I’m glad I found this recipe, along with the pictures. I’ve started experimenting with making bagles, and this recipe — I can see already — is going to help me an awful lot!

    Reply
    • Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)

      January 28, 2015 at 8:21 pm

      I am so glad to hear it! Let me know how they turn out for you!

      Reply
  3. Bonbon

    March 28, 2015 at 2:16 pm

    I have not tried this recipe but am really lookimg forward to doing so. One question: if I were to add blueberries (fresh or dried), how and when would I do that, and how much?

    Reply
    • Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)

      March 30, 2015 at 7:51 am

      I would recommend using dried (fresh could get very messy!) and adding them in at Step 2 right before kneading.

      Reply
  4. Sarah S

    August 15, 2015 at 5:04 pm

    Hey beautiful! I just made these step by step and they turned out incredible! I see what you mean about whole wheat flour by the bagel being dense, because that is what I used. I like mine a little dense! But next time round I will be sure to use white whole wheat. I topped mine with rosemary, garlic, debydrated onion and sesame seeds. Never have been more satisfied in my life. I prasie you ma’lady.

    Reply
    • Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)

      August 24, 2015 at 11:30 am

      Sarah, I am SO happy to hear these turned out well! Your toppings sound DELISH – I’m going to try those next time. 🙂 XOX

      Reply
  5. Maggie

    October 2, 2015 at 12:34 pm

    Very nice . I just made these todAy. Big son and grandchildren loved them. Will be making them again.

    Reply
    • Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)

      October 3, 2015 at 9:53 am

      Hi Maggie, I am so glad your family loved them! It’s one of my favorite recipes!

      Reply
  6. Becky

    November 3, 2015 at 12:44 am

    I just made these. I used whole wheat flour and honey instead of sugar. I added cinnamon and chopped walnuts in the dough. They are wonderful – not too heavy at all. This recipe is definitely a keeper!

    Reply
    • Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)

      November 3, 2015 at 8:40 am

      Becky, I am SO glad to hear that! Cinnamon + walnuts sounds AMAZING – I am definitely trying that next time.

      Reply
  7. Mimi

    January 23, 2016 at 10:08 am

    Wow these bagels taste so great!! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe!!

    Reply
    • Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)

      January 23, 2016 at 10:13 am

      Yay!! I am so glad you tried them and liked them!

      Reply
  8. Michi

    April 19, 2016 at 12:29 pm

    Never made bagels before, but had a general idea. This is sooooo easy and we devoured the entire batch within hours. I may never buy bagels again. I’m guessing the recipe can easily be doubled? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)

      April 19, 2016 at 9:26 pm

      YAY! I am so glad you loved the recipe, Michi! Thank you for commenting and letting me know. Yes, absolutely it can be doubled. I make extras and freeze them 🙂

      Reply
  9. James

    May 4, 2016 at 7:44 am

    Thanks for this recipe! Looks great. I am about to head to the supermarket to pick up the ingredients now. My GF is at work and I want to make them before she gets home lol.

    Wish me luck 🙂

    Reply
    • Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)

      May 4, 2016 at 8:16 am

      James, I am so impressed! Definitely let me know how they turn out!

      Reply
  10. James

    May 4, 2016 at 3:18 pm

    Hey Rachel, so I am back 🙂

    I made a few tweaks.

    1. I forgot to pick up whole wheat flour so I went with bread flour instead.

    2. I added a teaspoon of vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon almond spice to the water for flavoring.

    Now they are done. Am nervous to taste it lol. SO I have some pics for you. I can’t post on your blog so hopefully you’ll allow this link. To my bagels 🙂

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/140735534@N07/shares/s80S19

    Thanks again for the recipe.

    …..
    James

    PS. I hope my GF likes them, she should be home soon. So I’ll just wait for her to taste it first haha.

    Reply
    • Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)

      May 4, 2016 at 7:22 pm

      They look awesome!! Thanks for stopping back to tell me how it went. I’ve never made them with bread flour, so once you taste them make sure to let me know how they were!

      Reply
      • James

        May 4, 2016 at 10:06 pm

        They are delicious!. I forgot to let you know that I also added some raisons and a bit of cinnamon powder as well.

        I toasted one and then added some cheese. YUMMY. I don’t know if I will be buying bagels again lol.

        Now I make them myself. 🙂

        Thanks again for the recipe.

        ….
        James

        Reply
        • Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)

          May 5, 2016 at 7:02 am

          Yay! You made my day! I’ll have to try them with cinnamon and raisins!

          Reply
  11. Phoenix

    July 11, 2016 at 3:14 pm

    I just made your recipe. This is the first time I’ve ever made bagels. I only had to let them rise an hour instead of two—must be warm in my house.

    My mother in law loved them. I actually might have to adjust the temp further. I cooked at 425 for the 25 mins and they got darker than I’d like.

    They also got a little shrivelled, did I boil too long? Not enough?

    Anyway, will definitely use this recipe again. Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)

      July 11, 2016 at 9:55 pm

      Thank you so much for trying my recipe! I am so glad your MIL loved them. So strange that yours shriveled, I’ve never had that happen. Also, is it possible that your oven may run hot? Mine doesn’t get hot enough, so I use an oven thermometer that I bought on Amazon. Maybe next time just aim for 20 min. I am sure you could continue to tweak it until it’s perfect to your liking! Thanks for stopping by. – Rachel

      Reply
  12. Mili

    March 2, 2019 at 7:51 am

    Awesome recipe. I am from us but currently live in India, no one has heard of bagels in all of india. And i am so glad i found your page. I have bookmarked this recipe and everytime i have a craving i make it my self.

    Reply
    • Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)

      March 5, 2019 at 2:28 pm

      That makes me so happy to hear! So glad that you can fulfill your bagel craving while living in India.

      Reply

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