New year. New beginnings. New goals. New directions. New resolutions. New Bucket List.
What do you focus on at the start of the New Year?
Once upon a time I was a faithful resolution maker. Every single year. In fact, I’m willing to bet there’s a few of them right here on the blog from way back. But they never stuck. At least not for long. So I realized a few years back that resolutions were pointless in my world, and I instead focused on goals. But then, I realized that a yearly bucket list was more fun. I began creating a lifetime bucket list and then I did a yearly one and last year I began my culinary bucket list. I have also already begun my culinary bucket list which will grow rapidly I think.
I didn’t get as much crossed off my bucket list last year as I had hoped. But I definitely got some crossed off.
I have decided to spend more time this year trying to accomplish things off my bucket list and today I present you with one of them. Homemade Bagels. Homemade Bagels with Mimosa Cream Cheese Spread. You’re welcome.
When #SundaySupper announced the theme for this week, I was actually really excited and I knew that it was a good way to get the new year started off on the right foot. Cross something off my bucket list right away, right? Well, here it is.
I have been making my own bread for years. I’ve even attempted hamburger buns once. But I really wanted to make bagels. They didn’t seem t0o hard and this recipe is super easy with only 5 ingredients. Yep. Right up my alley.
I received this recipe a few years back from my very frugal friend Wendy, who pretty much made everything completely from scratch. Even her diaper wipes were homemade. The woman could make anything from scratch. I don’t know where she got the recipe, but I had a feeling she’d made it dozens of times, because they day she gave it to me, she didn’t even use a recipe card to write it down. I mean who does that? Okay so maybe there are a few recipes I can do that for too. But still…
Anyway, homemade bagels. They were incredible. And very easy. And I was surprised everything turned out the right way. Nothing went wrong. And they looked beautiful when they were all finished. Almost exactly like the kind I can go to the bakery and get or the local grocery store. And they tasted better. WAY better. Probably because I made them with my own two hands. They were incredible. The kids ate them all.
I made up a batch of Mimosa Cream Cheese Spread to top these delicious bagels to celebrate the New Year and it was the perfect brunch on New Years Day.
Here are your ingredients. (don’t worry, recipe is below) All you need is 4 cups of bread flour, 1 Tablespoon of sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, 1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil and 2 teaspoons of INSTANT yeast. Well, you also need about 1 1/4 cups of warm water, but that’s free.
Begin by dumping the 4 cups of flour in a large bowl.
Add the tablespoon of sugar and the 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt.
Next it’s a tablespoon of vegetable oil.
Next goes the 2 tablespoons of instant yeast. Don’t be afraid of it. Just throw it in there and provided you are using instant yeast, all will be fine with this beautiful dough.
Now you need about 1 1/4 cup of warm water. Just dump it over everything.
Immediately start kneading. Knead and knead. For like 10 minutes. Or use your stand mixer to knead. Then it’s shorter. And easier. But I will tell you, kneading bread gets massive aggression out. It’s kinda soothing to the soul. Just saying.
The dough should be kinda stiff. Not too stiff. You can add up to another 1/4 cup of warm water to incorporate everything but I didn’t need to. The more I kneaded, the more it just all went together.
Roll the dough into a giant log. You know, like I did in the picture.
Slice the log into 6-8 equal parts. Or you can do what I did and make four large bagels and three smaller bagels. It really doesn’t matter. Just don’t make them too small. Roll each of the “dough slices” into balls and let them just sit there for about 15 minutes in a warm place. I didn’t say hot. Just not cold. In fact, I’d try to keep it at 15 minutes so they don’t over-rise because then you have a disaster waiting to happen. We’re not baking a loaf of bread here, only bagels. Just 15 minutes. Warm. Room temperature warm. Not drafty. Trust me.
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
Now, take each of your balls and roll them into snakes. You should have 8 little snakes. Roll the snakes around your fist and then squeeze the ends together to make sure they are attached. Don’t think I’m nuts. Just do it that way and you’ll have perfect bagels. If they aren’t perfect, it’s not really going to matter because you are eating them. You’ll also get better as you go.
Now just let them sit and rise for 20 minutes.
While you’re waiting, boil a pot of water.
While you’re waiting for your pot to boil, prepare your baking sheet. Grease a baking sheet. That’s all.
After 20 minutes your bagels will look bigger and kinda puffy. I didn’t say huge, I just said bigger. Now it’s time to give them a bath. Put as many as you can in your pot at one time but don’t crowd them in there. You don’t want them to stick together. Boil for 1 minute and then flip them over and boil for another minute.
Remove them from the water and allow them to dry for a minute and then put them on your prepared greased baking sheet. Do this with all the bagels.
Bake in the oven for ten minutes. Take your pan out of the oven at 10 minutes, and flip all the bagels over. Then put them back in the oven for another ten minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about ten minutes and then eat ’em with some yummy Mimosa Cream Cheese Spread (or whatever you want to eat them with!)

Homemade Bagels with Mimosa Cream Cheese Spread
Ingredients
- 4 cups of bread flour
- 1 Tablespoons of sugar
- 1½ teaspoons of salt
- 1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons of instant yeast
- 1¼ + cups of warm water, see recipe
Instructions
- Mix the first five ingredients together.
- Add the water.
- Immediately start kneading. Knead for 10 minutes. The dough should be kind of stiff. You can add up to another ¼ cup of warm water to make sure everything incorporates but add in small increments up to ¼ cup.
- Roll the dough into a giant log.
- Slice the log into 6-8 equal parts. Roll each of the “dough slices” into balls and let them just sit there for about 15 minutes in a warm place.Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
- Now, take each of your balls and roll them into snakes. You should have 8 little snakes. Roll the snakes around your fist and then squeeze the ends together to make sure they are attached to form the bagels.
- Now just let them sit and rise for 20 minutes.
- While you’re waiting, boil a pot of water and prepare your baking sheet.
- After 20 minutes your bagels will look bigger and kinda puffy. Put as many as you can in your pot at one time but don’t crowd them. Boil for 1 minute and then flip them over and boil for another minute.
- Remove them from the water and allow them to dry for a minute and then put them on your prepared greased baking sheet. Do this with all the bagels.
- Bake in the oven for ten minutes. Take your pan out of the oven at 10 minutes, and flip all the bagels over. Then put them back in the oven for another ten minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about ten minutes and then eat ‘em with some yummy Mimosa Cream Cheese Spread (or whatever you want to eat them with!)
Join us this Sunday at 7 pm Eastern Time on Twitter as we share our bucket list recipes during our#SundaySupper chat.
This Week’s Sunday Supper Recipes:
Sunday Supper Specialty Breads:
- Homemade Bagels with Mimosa Spread by Daily Dish Recipes
- Homemade Tortillas by Supper for a Steal
- Brioche by Gotta Get Baked
- Alton Brown’s Soft Pretzels by Hezzi-D’s Book and Cooks
- Braided Challah by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
- Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites by In the Kitchen with Audrey and Maurene
- Belgian Waffles by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Gluten-free Bread by Happy Baking Days
- Monkey Bread by Vintage Kitchen Notes
Sunday Supper Main Dishes:
- Lightened Up Slow Cooker Butter Chicken by The Meltaways
- Gluten Free Ravioli by No One Likes Crumbley Cookies
- Bagna Cauda and Potatoes by Shockingly Delicious
- Beef Wellington by Family Foodie
- Green Chili and Lentil Tamales by Mangoes and Chutney
- Mushroom Ragout over Creamy Polenta by Noshing with the Nolands
- Butternut Squash Gnocchi by Peanut Butter and Peppers
- Ropa Vieja by Magnolia Days
- Tah-Dig (Persian Rice) by The Little Ferraro Kitchen
- Fresh Ravioli with Ricotta by Comfy Cuisine
- Stuffed Artichokes by The Roxx Box
- Braised Short Ribs by The Messy Baker blog
- Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon by Hip Foodie Mom
- French Onion Soup by The Weekend Gourmet
- Leaping Frog Chicken by The Urban Mrs.
- Fried Polenta with Spicy Tomato Relish by Mama Mommy Mom
- Savory Spinach-Filled Crepe Cake with Cheddar Sauce by Webicurean
- Japanese-Style Prosperity Pockets & Goat Cheese En Croute by Ninja Baking
- San Antonio Puffy Tacos by Sustainable Dad
- Chinese Dumplings by My Cute Bride
- Falafel by Small Wallet Big Appetite
Sunday Supper Desserts and Snacks:
- Creamy Lemon Fudge by Chocolate Moosey
- Zebra Cake by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Faux Ice Cream with Bananas by Country Girl in the Village
- Divinity by Juanita’s Cocina
- Homemade Seafoam Candy by girlichef
- French Macarons by I Run for Wine
- Mocha Macadamia Trifle with Mascarpone Cream by The Foodie Army Wife
- Nut and Seed Nougat by What Smells So Good
- Pumpkin Mocha Cupcakes with Whipped Cream Frosting and Dulce de Leche Drizzle by Damn Delicious
- Chocolate Meringue Cake (gluten free) by Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
- Gluten-Free Golden Fudge Cake by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- Orange Rum Tiramisu Cake by Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends
- Peanut Sesame Honey Brittle by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
- Granola Bars with Dried Fruit by The Wimpy Vegetarian
- Jamaican Blue Drawers by Lovely Pantry
- Mini Classic Key Lime Pies by In the Kitchen with KP
- Donuts: Redux by Kelly Bakes
- Hot Lemon Curd Soufflés by Food Lust People Love
- Popcorn with truffle oil and asiago cheese by Ruffles & Truffles
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun. Follow the#SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Don’t forget to also check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious
Amazing! Homemade bagels is definitely on my bucket list too! You’ve done such an awesome job here. I’ll be right over for breakfast 🙂
Nicole Cook
You’re definitely welcome for breakfast. They are delicious and we made up several more batches of the bagels to freeze which is great for the kiddo’s for school. Thank you!!
Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips
I have wanted to make bagels. I have to give it a try! Yours look great!
Nicole Cook
This recipe is super easy, you should totally try them. So good! And thank you!
Pam @ The Meltaways
wow – impressive! They look so amazing – when I tried bagels, they were all misshapen – yours look perfect! Great job on tackling them!
Nicole Cook
haha they weren’t ALL totally pretty looking, but most of them looked pretty good. I got better with the second batch I made and I have a feeling it will get easier. Thank you!
Hezzi-D
Aren’t homemade bagels delicious? Yours turned out wonderfully and that cream cheese sounds delish!
Nicole Cook
Heather, they are which was why I was determined to find a recipe that was doable AND tasted great. haha The cream cheese was fab!
Liz
Oh, my gosh, Nicole! Your bagels look bakery perfect!!! Congrats on mastering a dish on your bucket list!
Nicole Cook
Thank you so much Liz, they didn’t all turn out perfect looking but I was pretty happy overall. 🙂 Bucket lists are the bomb! haha Thanks!
Renee
Bagles is on my bucket list too. Like you I have made homemade bread but haven’t tried making bagels yet.
Nicole Cook
Renee you have to do it. It’s not nearly as hard as I thought it would be.
You will love the results (plus they just taste better!)
Paula @ Vintage Kitchen
You can bring me that last pic on a tray for breakfast any day Nicole! Homemade bagels are such an accomplishment and soooo good!
Nicole Cook
Paula, I’d totally bring you breakfast!
I’m so glad I tackled this and know we will be making these again and again, thanks!!
sunithi
Never made bagels !! Yours look great ! Love the spread ! Yummm
Nicole Cook
Thanks Sue! They were much easier than I thought they’d be and everything just went well, so that helped. Thank you!!
Cindys Recipes and Writings
I used to work in a bagel bakery. There is nothing like a fresh made, warm, straight-out-of-the-oven bagel! My favorites are salt and ones with cinnamon and raisins! 🙂
Nicole Cook
Cindy, I cannot imagine working in a bagel bakery, that would be like heaven for me. I love bagels. I’ve never had a salt bagel but man, oh man does that sound good right about now.
Katie
Homemade bagels – how wonderful! That is definitely something I’d love to tackle in my kitchen. Sounds awesome!
Nicole Cook
Katie, you have to try it. Was so much easier than I thought. No doubt. Thank you!
Susan
I almost decided to make bagels but I figured better save them incase we ever do a hometown theme! Looking good Nicole! I should have sent you some NY water for an “authentic taste” Ha!
Nicole Cook
lol the New York water would have absolutely been the perfect addition to make them as real as I could. 😉
Thanks so much and I hope we do a hometown theme sometime so I can see yours!
Shannon @VillageGirlBlog
Oh My Goodness do those look good! I have always wanted to bake bagels. This recipe just got added to my bucket list. Thanks for sharing!
Nicole Cook
Thank you so much Shannon. They were so much easier than I thought and they turned out really nice looking – my kids said they wouldn’t have believed I made them if they hadn’t have seen it. It’s true…. haha
Thank you!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Bagels are totally on my list to make! Every year I say this is the year I’ll make them. Now I’m thinking this is the WEEK I’ll make them. Thanks for a great recipe.
Jen @JuanitasCocina
I make a batch or two of bagels every few months and then we freeze them. Linda cons me into doing it. She tells me I can buy a huge thing of smoked salmon if I make homemade bagels to go along with it! 😀 Congrats on your bucket list cross-off!
Heather @girlichef
Okay, I remember the first time I made homemade bagels…I was so darn proud of myself that I made them like 3 more times that same week. Ha! This seems like such a simple recipe, I’ve got to give it a go! Great job, they look wonderful. And yes, I neeeeeed to try that mimosa cream cheese spread – yum!
Tara
Very cool, I can say I have never made homemade bagels but now want to try!!!
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
These looks so fluffy! I made bagels years and years ago, but it is on my list to do again this year!
Samantha @ FerraroKitchen
You seriously outdid yourself here! I cant believe I haven’t liked you yet on Fb!!! Gahhh just did :)))
Megan @ I Run For Wine
Oh wow I am totally impressed. You did a great job!!!!
kelly @ kellybakes
Homemade bagels have been on my bucket list for a while too. I’m glad you made them and showed all the steps; you made it look so easy that I might have to face my fear and give them a whirl this year! And umm…can we talk about that mimosa cream cheese spread? GENIUS!
Jennie @themessybakerblog
Nicole, these sound wonderful! I love the mimosa cream cheese. I decided not to make any resolutions this year because I always fall off the bandwagon.
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom
Wow, love this!!! I will definitely be trying this recipe. . Question: I’ve seen some bagel recipes where they don’t boil them but I’ve only known bagels to be boiled initially like yours. What does the boiling do? Prep the dough before you bake them? also, wow, can’t believe your friend made homemade diaper wipes!! that’s amazing!!! How did she keep them moist and sterile?
Nicole Cook
Hi Alice, boiling the bagels is done affectively to set the crust. Since the crust is already set the bagels (or pretzel dough… etc.) won’t continue rising and create the kinda of dense chewiness of a bagel.
Well, about the diaper wipes. I made my own a few times too, you usually use paper towels, cut them in half and then layer them into a plastic container with a lid with a tight seal. (Rubbermaid was my favorite). The ingredients were just hot water, baby bath wash and baby oil. They stayed moist in the container and I don’t know about “sterile” except you’d only remove the lid to take out a wipe, so they stay fresh and clean (and sterile).
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom
oh and how did you make the mimosa cream cheese spread?
Nicole Cook
Hey Alice, I tried to link it a few times in the post – here is the recipe for the Mimosa Cream Cheese Spread: https://dailydishrecipes.com/mimosa-cream-cheese-spread-for-bagels-or-toast/
Happy Sunday!
Patti
So when are you opening up your bagel shop Nicole? I’ll take half a dozen! They came out perfect!
Lyn @LovelyPantry
We adore bagels! Its one thing that my kids don’t mind having (picky eaters). Its awesome that you’ve made them!! Its on my list too…a little further down – but its there!!! Good job!
Audrey's Mamma
I love it! Now that we have tackled pretzels we should try bagels. The girls love bagels. They like the small ones so we might try to make them smaller.
Nancy @ gottagetbaked
WOW, Nicole! I love bagels but have always been too intimidated to try making them. If you say they’re easy, I believe you. Yours look amazing, especially with that thick slather of mimosa cream cheese. I could eat that cream cheese in copious amounts with anything and everything. This week’s Sunday Supper is going to be adding a LOT of items to my bucket list – lol.
Stacy
Since I have been living out of the US for more than 26 years now, there have only been a couple of places where I could get a genuine fresh bagel, so I had to learn to make my own. Needs must, as the British say. Your bagels look wonderful and I love the Mimosa Cream Cheese Spread.
The Ninja Baker
Bravo, Nicole! Very much appreciate too your encouraging step by step instructions and photos.
Makes me this Ninja Baker believe that she, too, can make bagels, too =)
P.s. Love your 2013 Culinary Bucket List and looking forward to your steamed dumplings.
Sarah Reid, RHNC (@jo_jo_ba)
I just made bagels yesterday! not as yummy of a topping though 🙂
Laura | Small Wallet, Big Appetite
Oh this has been on my bucket list forever. I am so pleased to see they turned out for you gives me motivation to give it a try myself.
Anne @ Webicurean
Very impressive–You managed to make the whole process appear relatively simple, but I’m sure it’s not–which is probably a good thing or I’d be making them all the time! Amazing job
Lane @ Supper for a Steal
Homemade bagels are something I have never even thought of making, but I think this year I will try to tackle much more homemade bread. I will add bagels on to my list.
Conni - The Foodie Army Wife
Mmmm! These look absolutely delicious!! I love home-baked breads 🙂
Sarah
Wow! Home made bagels. That is an dish I need to add to my list too. They look delicous!
Carla
I’ve been telling my dad for years that I would make him sesame bagels because they stopped selling his brand. This might be just the push to do it! Also, love the idea of mimosa cream cheese.
Karen Hartzell (@InTheKitchenKP)
I’m defin coming over for breakfast at your house! I love bagels! Kudos to you making homemade! YUM!
Chef Extraordinaire
Yes! I am proud to say that your recipe for bagels came out wonderful! Thanks for the the 4 star recipe!