These New York Bagels are perfectly chewy with a flavorful crust. Add your favorite toppings and serve them toasted with butter or cream cheese for a delicious breakfast.

Looking for more tasty bagels and breads? Then you should try our sourdough bagels and brioche bread.

New York Bagels sliced in half with cream cheese

New York Bagels Details

TASTE: These bagels are savory with slight hints of sweetness to balance the salt.
TEXTURE: They’re deliciously chewy with a smooth and lightly crunchy crust.
TIME: Bagels take time to make so you want to plan for at least 3 hours of time.
EASE: New York bagels are not complicated at all! It just takes a little patience.

What you’ll need

Yeast mixture- Granulated sugar, Dry active yeast, and Warm water (110°F)
Dry ingredients- Bread flour, Salt, Baking soda, and Cornmeal (to dust the pans)
Wet ingredients- Water, Honey, and Egg (for egg wash)
Toppings-Toasted sesame seeds, Poppy seeds, and Everything bagel seasoning

Ingredients for making New York Bagels, including bread flour, salt, water, yeast, sugar, honey, baking soda, corn meal, and toppings like sesame and poppy seeds and everything bagel seasoning mix.

How to Make New York Bagels

Make the dough

Make the yeast mixture. Dissolve the sugar and yeast in the warm water by stirring it in with a whisk. Then let it sit for about 10-15 minutes to froth up.
Mix the dough. In a stand mixer, add the bread flour, salt, and yeast mixture. With the hook attachment, mix on low speed until it begins to take shape, then pick up the speed to high and mix until the dough is smooth and elastic. You can knead it by hand at the end for super smooth dough.

Pro Tip: If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can knead the dough in a bowl with a spoon, and then by hand on a lightly floured surface.

Steps to make New York Bagels, including frothing the yeast and then kneading the dough in a stand mixer.

Proof the bagel dough. Place the dough in a large greased bowl and cover it with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Then put it in a warm place to rise. I like using the bread proofing setting on my oven, which takes about an hour. On the countertop, it may take over two hours. Either way, you want it to at least double in size.
Divide the dough. Punch the dough down and divide it into 8 equal parts. You can use a kitchen scale to make sure they’re even. Now shape them into smooth balls with your hands, avoiding the use of extra flour.
Allow the dough to rest. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and dust it with some cornmeal. Then place the dough balls on top and cover them with a kitchen towel for about 5 minutes.

Steps to make New York Bagels, including letting the dough rise and then dividing it.

Shape the bagels

Mold the bagels. To make a bagel shape, press your thumb into the center of the ball to make a hole. Then grab the other side with your index finger and pick it up. Begin rotating your 2 index fingers inside of the hole to stretch out the dough. Repeat this with all eight pieces of dough.
Allow the bagels to rise again. Place the shaped New York bagels on the same parchment paper-lined baking sheet and cover them with a kitchen towel for 20 minutes.

Steps to make New York Bagels, including molding the bagels into shape.

Boil and bake them

Prepare the water for boiling. In the meantime, bring 2 inches of water to a boil in a large deep pan. Then mix in the baking soda and honey.
Boil the bagels. Gently boil the bagels for 1-2 minutes on each side, flipping them with chopsticks. Only place 4 bagels in at a time to avoid overcrowding. When they’re done, place them back on the baking sheet.

Steps to make New York Bagels, including boiling the bagels.

Add the toppings. Now whisk the egg and water together and brush the egg wash over each bagel with a pastry brush. Then sprinkle them with your favorite toppings. I used poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and everything bagel seasoning.
Bake the bagels. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the New York bagels for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Steps to make New York Bagels, including applying an egg wash, sprinkling with toppings, and baking them.

Tips for making the best New York Bagels

Froth the yeast– Make sure the yeast mixture has frothed before using it. If after 15 minutes it hasn’t bubbled, start again. The water may have been too cool (it should be about 110°F) or the yeast may have expired.
Carefully measure your flour- Spoon and level off your flour instead of scooping it with your measuring cup. This avoids too much flour packing into the cup, and drying out your dough.
Knead by hand- This isn’t necessary the whole time, but at the end of the kneading process, work the dough with your hands to get that super smooth texture.
Save time proofing in the oven– It takes half the time if you use the bread proofing setting in your oven. So if you have that function, save yourself some time and proof the dough in there.
Measure your dough- To get uniform New York bagels, measure the 8 pieces of dough on a kitchen scale to make sure they all weigh the same. This will also ensure even cooking.
Don’t overcrowd- Only boil 4 bagels at a time to keep them from crowding together, leading to uneven cooking or misshapen bagels.

New York bagel with a spread of cream cheese

How to shape a New York bagel

The best way to shape a New York bagel without leaving fingerprint dents on it is to press your thumb into the center of the dough ball. Push all the way through the make a hole. Then grab the other side with your index finger and pick it up. Then begin rotating your 2 index fingers inside of the hole to stretch out the dough.

Topping variations

Seeds- Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, or pepitas are great choices.
Fruit- Mix in blueberries, strawberries, or raisins to the dough, along with a dash of food coloring for color.
Vegetables- Minced garlic and onion are classics.
Seasoning- Salt, cinnamon, or everything bagel seasoning mix are also popular.

What to Serve these Bagels with

You can serve New York bagels for breakfast, lunch, or a snack. They’re great toasted with some butter or cream cheese (of which there are numerous flavors to choose from). You can also serve them with cream cheese and lox for a more savory version, like this Smoked Salmon Bagel. Try these bagels in a Breakfast Sandwich, with eggs, bacon, and whatever else you like. For lunch, add deli meats and cheese for a satisfying meal, similar to this Turkey Croissant Sandwich. They also make great pizza bagels! You can use them in so many delicious ways!

How to Store bagels

The best way to store New York bagels is by placing them in a ziplock bag once they are completely cool. Leave them at room temperature and they will last for 5-6 days, though they start getting stale after 2-3 days.

Can these bagels be frozen?

Yes, these bagels can be frozen. As soon as they are completely cool, place them in a freezer ziplock bag and in the freezer. They will last for about 3-4 months. Thaw them and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes, or microwave and toast them when you’re ready to serve.

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New York Bagels

New York Bagels Details

What you’ll need