This Pretzel Bagels Recipe makes soft bagels with the traditional flavor & color - of pretzels. They’re absolutely fabulous for as a base for sandwiches!
We’ve always been big fans of pretzels, and - before developing my gluten allergy - I used to make them all the time.
I think I started out with Beer Pretzels with Pepper Jack Dip, and followed that up with Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Pretzel Bites, but I could be wrong on the order.
Eventually, we added my Football Soft Pretzel Bites and Pretzel Buns to the blog, as well.
Then, I think finally nailing Gluten Free Soft Pretzels may just be one of my top 5 accomplishments in life. Sure felt like it at the time, anyway!
Anyway, these homemade bagels are among my husband’s favourites, specifically because he likes making himself fancy omelette breakfast sandwiches.
I should let him say his piece about them:
I find them a fun option for my breakfast sandwiches, and a nice change from more traditional breakfast bagel options. (Which I love, don’t get me wrong... but variety is great, too!)
I also love using them for non-breakfast sandwiches - they just make a really great base for sandwiches in general.
The taste and texture is perfect, and I love how versatile they are - they’ll work with almost any kind of sandwich, to give it a bit more character, and make it a bit more fun."
SO there you have it - pretzel bagels as the perfect sandwich bread!
Anyway, let’s get to that recipe...
Ingredients
This homemade pretzel bagels recipe uses VERY simple ingredients - most are probably pantry staples, for those who do any baking at all. Anything you don’t have on hand will be easy to find in any grocery store.
I really don’t have much in the way of notes for you on this one, but here we go:
All Purpose Flour
I use all purpose flour, as it’s what I have on hand. You can substitute the same amount of bread flour, if you’d like... just don’t use self rising flour, as the dough may not behave itself.
Also:
While you CAN substitute about ⅓ of the flour in this recipe for whole wheat flour, I don’t really recommend it. Maybe it’s just me, but whole wheat pretzels... doesn’t sound right!
Baking Soda
Unlike most of my bagel recipes - which tend to use either sugar or honey in the boil - this one uses baking soda.
This alkalizes the water, to augment the Maillard reaction you get from baking it - it’s why pretzels have their characteristic dark brown colour.
Traditionally, this is done with the use of lye.
I’ll be honest, ever since visiting Lower Fort Garry as a kid and learning about the ins and outs of traditional soap making - including the potential dangers of lye - I have little to no desire to use it for food.
Yes, I know it’s safe and done all the time. It’s just off-putting, to me. So... baking soda it is!
An Egg
This is optional, but recommended.
I whisk an egg with a bit of water to make the egg wash. This helps the colour AND texture of the final bagel, and gives it that nice, shiny finish.
Everything Else
Rounding out this recipe, you will need:
Light Brown Sugar
Coarse Sea Salt
Active Dry Yeast
Salt
... I don’t have anything to add, for any of these bagel ingredients. Super straightforward!
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How to Make Pretzel Bagels
The full recipe is in the printable recipe card at the end of this post, here is the pictorial walk through:
Make the Bagel Dough
Measure warm water into a glass measuring cup or bowl. Stir in yeast and brown sugar, allow to stand for 10 minutes – it should get very bubbly.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and salt. Pour in yeast mixture, stir well to combine.
(Alternatively, use a stand mixer with a dough hook for about 7 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic.)
Once dough is fully kneaded, place in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise for one hour, or until doubled in size.
Form the Bagels
Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, before forming the bagels.
Once dough has doubled, punch it down, and divide it out.
We usually divide the mixture into 8 equally sized balls, but you can make them larger by dividing into 6 equal sized pieces, or smaller by doing 10.
There are two main ways of forming bagels – with roll each lump of dough into a thick “snake” and secure the ends together, or roll each lump into a smooth ball before poking a finger though.
Once you have a hole made, stretch the ring of dough out a bit to enlarge the hole. Personally, I prefer the latter.
Once you have all of your bagels formed, set them on a baking sheet to rise for another 10 minutes.
Boil and Bake the Bagels
As the bagels rise, measure the baking soda into a large pot, fill halfway with water. Bring it JUST to a boil, then turn heat down a little. You want the water to simmer rather than boil.
2 or 3 at a time, drop your bagels into the simmering water, allow to cook for 1 minute, then flip each and allow to cook for another minute.
Drain bagels well, place on a lined baking sheet.
Sprinkle each bagel with coarse salt, if desired.
Bake for about 37-40 minutes (for 6), 35 Minutes (for 8). or 32 minutes (if you're making 10-12), until golden brown.
Once cooled to room temperature, these pretzel bagels can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for a few days, or in the fridge for about a week.
More Bagel Recipes
Looking for more fantastic bagels to make? Here are some options for great bagels at home!
Banana Nut Bagels
Blueberry Bagels
Chai Bagels
Everything Bagels
Garden Veggie Bagels
Gluten-Free Bagels
How to Make Bagels
Jalapeno Cheddar Beer Bagels
Marble Rye Bagels
Mini Bagels
Montreal Bagels
Pumpernickel Everything Bagels
Rainbow Bagels
Red Velvet Bagels
Roasted Garlic Asiago Bagels
Roasted Red Pepper Bagels
Rye Bagels with Caraway Seeds
Seeded Whole Wheat Flax Bagels
Smoky Cheese Bagels
Whole Wheat Spinach Bagels
... and a few seasonal / holiday options, too:
Christmas Bagels
Gingerbread Bagels
Heart Shaped Bagels
Hot Cross Bagels
Maple Pumpkin Spice Bagels
Paska Bagels
Homemade Pretzel Bagels
Equipment
- 2 Baking Sheets
- Parchment Paper
- Large pot
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups Warm - not hot - water
- 4 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
- ¼ Cup Light Brown Sugar
- 3 ½ cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ cup Baking Soda
- 1 Large Egg Optional
- Coarse Sea Salt Optional
Instructions
Make the Bagel Dough
- Measure warm water into a glass measuring cup or bowl. Stir in yeast and brown sugar, allow to stand for 10 minutes – it should get very bubbly.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and salt. Pour in yeast mixture, stir well to combine.
- Dump dough out onto a floured surface, knead until soft and elastic, 5-10 minutes. (Alternatively, use a stand mixer with a dough hook for about 7 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic.)
- Once dough is fully kneaded, place in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise for one hour, or until doubled in size.
Form the Bagels
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, before forming the bagels.
- Once dough has doubled, punch it down, and divide it out.
- We usually divide the mixture into 8 equally sized balls, but you can make them larger by dividing into 6 equal sized pieces, or smaller by doing 10.
- There are two main ways of forming bagels – with roll each lump of dough into a thick “snake” and secure the ends together, or roll each lump into a smooth ball before poking a finger though. Once you have a hole made, stretch the ring of dough out a bit to enlarge the hole. Personally, I prefer the latter.
- Once you have all of your bagels formed, set them on a baking sheet to rise for another 10 minutes.
Boil and Bake the Bagels
- As the bagels rise, measure the baking soda into a large pot, fill halfway with water. Bring it JUST to a boil, then turn heat down a little. You want the water to simmer rather than boil.
- 2 or 3 at a time, drop your bagels into the simmering water, allow to cook for 1 minute, then flip each and allow to cook for another minute.
- Drain bagels well, place on a lined baking sheet.
- Whisk egg together with 1 tablespoon of water, brush over the tops and sides of each bagel. (You can skip this step for an egg-free pretzel bagel!)
- Sprinkle each bagel with coarse salt, if desired.
- Bake for about 37-40 minutes (for 6), 35 Minutes (for 8). or 32 minutes (if you're making 10-12), until golden brown.
Notes
Nutrition
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Michael Porter
These are a constant favorite, I use them for my breakfast sandwiches so often. They're great to have on hand for a quick snack too. Some times I'll freeze a few and vacuum seal them so I always have some on hand. Make sure to break the seal of the vacuum bag before thawing though, so they don't get crushed.