My New York Style Bagel Recipe is straightforward, delicious and so very rewarding. The crisp, golden crust gives way to a perfectly chewy interior. I have spent countless weekends perfecting this recipe. I can confidently say that making them at home is worth every moment of effort.
Go traditional and slather on some cream cheese and layer on smoked salmon. Or change it up and enjoy them with homemade labneh or labneh balls.
Table of Contents
What are New York Bagels?
New York bagels are emblematic of New York City. These dense, chewy rings of dough undergo a boiling process prior to baking, resulting in their unique texture and sheen.
Their origins can be traced to the late 19th and early 20th centuries when Eastern European Jewish immigrants introduced their bagel-making traditions to the city.
Over time, the New York bagel became a cultural staple across the USA and beyond, often enjoyed with cream cheese, lox, capers, or a variety of spreads.
New York Bagels Vs Montreal Bagels
The rivalry between New York and Montreal bagels is a heated one. While New York bagels are plump and chewy, Montreal bagels are smaller, denser, and sweeter, often boiled in honey-sweetened water and baked in wood-fired ovens.
As an ex-Montrealer myself, it’s Montreal Bagels all the way for me! But they can be a little challenging to make for the home baker. New York Style bagels are much easier to make especially for beginners.
I would encourage you to also try my Jerusalem Bagel recipe (also known as Ka’ak al Quds) and Simit (Turkish sesame bread). Also, try my Homemade Soft Pretzel recipe.
Ingredients
This recipe doesn’t have any complicated or hard to find ingredients. Traditionally this recipe uses barley malt syrup, but I suggest that you substitute or omit it because it’s not an easy ingredient to find.
- Bread flour: High-protein flour is essential for that chewy texture. You can substitute with all-purpose flour, but the results may be softer.
- Instant yeast: Helps the dough rise efficiently. Active dry yeast can also be used but requires blooming in water first. You’ll find that most of my baking recipes use instant yeast. It’s just easier to work with and why not make our lives a little easier?
- Sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness and feeds the yeast. Substitute with honey or brown sugar if you like.
- Barley malt syrup (optional, use only if you have it): Used in the boiling water to give the bagels their signature golden sheen and subtle malty flavor. But honestly don’t stress here. Don’t go out of your way to find this ingredient. Substitute with molasses or honey, or add nothing to the boiling water.
- Toppings: Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, everything seasoning, or plain salt. The choice is yours. You can use them all which is what I usually do because I like the variety.
- Egg wash: Helps the toppings stick and gives the bagels a shiny crust.
Refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make New York-Style bagels
You can do this! This might seem like a complicated recipe, but it’s actually very straightforward. Read through all the steps to get your bearings.
Step 1. Make the bagel dough. To a bowl of a stand mixer, add the water, yeast and sugar. Stir to combine (Image 1). Add the flour and salt. Run the mixer with the dough hook attachment on medium-low speed until the dough comes together. Knead for 8-10 minutes (Image 2). Alternatively, you can use a large bowl to mix the ingredients and knead the dough on a clean work surface like your countertop until it’s supple.
Step 2. Rise. Once the dough is ready, shape it into a dough ball and place it in a large lightly oiled bowl (or use the bowl of the stand mixer). Cover it with a damp towel and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 to 1.5 hours, or until it has doubled in size (Images 3-4). This step allows the yeast to work its magic, creating a dough that’s light yet sturdy.
Step 3. Divide. After the dough has risen, punch it down to release any trapped air. Divide it into 6 equal pieces of dough (for large bagels) or 9 pieces (for smaller bagels) and roll each piece into a ball (Image 5). Rest for 10 minutes (Image 6).
Step 4. Shape. To shape the bagels, poke a hole in the center of each dough ball using your index finger. Then gently stretch the dough ball using your index fingers to form a ring. Aim for uniform shaped bagels to ensure even baking (Images 7-8).
Step 5. Boil. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle on some of the topping (this will form the bottom crust of your bagels). Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add optional barley malt syrup, honey, or brown sugar. Boil the bagels in batches for 1-2 minutes per side. This step is what gives bagels their distinctive crust and chewy interior (Image 9). Use a slotted spoon to remove the boiled bagels and place them on the prepared baking sheet on top of the desired topping (Image 10).
Step 6. Brush and dress. While the bagels are still wet and tacky from boiling, brush them with egg wash and sprinkle your chosen toppings (Images 11-12).
Step 7. Bake. Bake the bagels in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until they turn golden brown and crisp. Let them cool slightly before enjoying (Image 13).
New York Bagels Video Tutorial
Expert Tips
- Kneading. Proper kneading is key to achieving the ideal chewiness. If the bagel dough feels too sticky, add flour a tablespoon at a time until manageable. I like my bagel dough to be supple, but not sticky.
- Proofing. Don’t rush the rise. A well-proofed dough makes a big difference in texture. But do keep in mind that the dough will rise faster in a warm kitchen. So if you’re making this recipe in the summer, the dough might be ready sooner than you think, so keep an eye on it.
- Overnight cold proof. This is optional, but you can let your kneaded dough rise overnight in the fridge. This slow rise improves flavor.
- Shaping. Consistency is key. I like to use a kitchen scale to ensure uniform bagel sizes, which helps them bake evenly. It also looks more professional.
- Make it vegan. Skip the egg wash to keep this recipe vegan.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! After shaping the bagels, place them on a baking sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. Boil and bake them the next day for freshly baked homemade bagels.
Store at room temperature in a paper bag for up to 2 days. For longer storage, freeze them. I like to slice the bagels before freezing them for easy toasting later. Just take them out of the freezer, use a butter knife to crack them open and toast.
No, boiling is essential for the authentic chewy texture and shiny crust that defines a New York bagel.
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New York Style Bagel Recipe
Equipment
- Stand Mixer – Optional
Ingredients
- 1⅓ cups Room temperature water (320 grams)
- 2¼ teaspoon Instant yeast (7 grams or 1 packet)
- 1 tablespoon Sugar (12 grams)
- 3½ cups Bread flour (520 grams)
- 2 teaspoon Kosher salt (10 grams)
Boiling Water Bath
- 4-6 cups Water – Enough to fill a wide pan about halfway through
- 2 tablespoon Barley malt syrup, honey or brown sugar – Optional
Toppings
- 1 Egg – Beaten
- 3 tablespoon Sesame seeds
- 3 tablespoon Everything Bagel seasoning
- 3 tablespoon Poppy seeds
Instructions
- Make the bagel dough. To a bowl of a stand mixer, add the 1⅓ cups Room temperature water , 2¼ teaspoon Instant yeast and 1 tablespoon Sugar. Stir to combine. Add 3½ cups Bread flour and 2 teaspoon Kosher salt. Run the mixer with the dough hook attachment on medium-low speed until the dough comes together. Knead for 8-10 minutes. Alternatively, you can use a large bowl to mix the ingredients and knead the dough on a clean work surface like your countertop until it’s supple. Note: Proper kneading is crucial for developing the gluten that gives chewy bagels their signature texture.
- Rise. Once the dough is ready, shape it into a dough ball and place it in a large lightly oiled bowl (or use the bowl of the stand mixer). Cover it with a damp towel and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 to 1.5 hours, or until it has doubled in size.
- Divide. After the dough has risen, punch it down to release any trapped air. Divide it into 6 equal pieces of dough (for large bagels) or 9 pieces (for smaller bagels) and roll each piece into a ball. Rest on the counter for 10 minutes.
- Shape. To shape the bagels, poke a hole in the center of each dough ball using your index finger. Then gently stretch the dough ball using your index fingers to form a ring. Aim for uniform shaped bagels to ensure even baking.
- Boil. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle on some of the topping (this will form the bottom crust of your bagels). Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the optional 2 tablespoon Barley malt syrup, honey or brown sugar. Boil the bagels in batches for 1-2 minutes per side. This step is what gives bagels their distinctive crust and chewy interior. Use a slotted spoon to remove the boiled bagels and place them on the prepared baking sheet on top of the desired topping.
- Brush and dress. While the bagels are still wet and tacky from boiling, brush them with egg wash and sprinkle your chosen toppings.
- Bake. Bake the bagels in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until they turn golden brown and crisp. Let them cool slightly before enjoying.
Video
Notes
- Bread flour: High-protein flour is essential for that chewy texture. You can substitute with all-purpose flour, but the results may be softer (but it’ll still work).
- Instant yeast: Active dry yeast can also be used but requires blooming in water first.
- Barley malt syrup (optional, use only if you have it): Used in the boiling water to give the bagels their signature golden sheen and subtle malty flavor. But honestly don’t stress here. Don’t go out of your way to find this ingredient. Substitute with molasses or honey, or add nothing to the boiling water.
- Toppings: Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, everything seasoning, or plain salt. The choice is yours. You can use them all which is what I usually do because I like the variety.
- Don’t skip the boiling step! This is what gives the bagels their chewy, tight-crumb texture.
- Don’t rush the process. Proper kneading helps develop the gluten, a long enough rest period helps the dough rise and become workable, and resting the dough balls once shaped makes it easier to stretch them out into bagels.
- Every kitchen is different. Humidity levels and temperature can vary from kitchen to kitchen, and from season to season. When making the dough, trust your instincts. If your kitchen is warm, the dough may rise faster than expected.
- Overnight proof. You can refrigerate your dough overnight once kneaded. This improves flavor and can make the dough easier to portion and shape the next day.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
I love this recipe so much I come back every time I make bagels. It’s perfect, my bagels come out great every time and HUGE. Fluffy on the inside chewy on the outside. I’ve messed around with the toppings and this base recipe is foolproof.
Glad you are enjoying the recipe, Lindsey!
This recipe is the best. I have made numerous batches and crave them all the time. I do have one question… can these be frozen?
Yes, but I suggest slicing them first, then freezing. They will be easier to toast this way.
Respectfully, this recipe changed my life. It has ruined store bought AND bagel shops for me. I’ve made it at least 10 times and my friends from NY love them. I always thought New Yorkers were being dramatic about the bagels but I get it now… 🤣
Okay you just made my day, Brianna!
These bagels are AMAZING!! Grew up in NJ/NY so I know what a good bagel is. Moved down south and haven’t been able to find a good bagel in years. I’ve tried multiple recipes but this is the best one by far. The texture is perfect- so chewy and has a nice crust. I even used all purpose flour bc that’s what I had on hand. This was so easy to make. 10/10 highly recommend!
I will live and die by this bagel recipe. These are amazing. I am spoiled to any other bagel now.
Thank you so much, Alexa! Glad you love the recipe.
This is the best recipe. Can you double this recipe? Thank you!
Yes, you can absolutely double it as long as your stand mixer can handle the amount of dough.
How would you suggest doing blueberry bagels? They are impossible to find (and I know… not as authentic) and I love them. Have you tried this with blueberries?
I have not tried. But I would probably add frozen blueberries to the dough towards the end of the kneading cycle so they don’t get too squished. It may get a bit messy if I’m honest, as the berries burst. The other thing you can do is add blueberries to the sough in the dividing stage, as you form them into balls.
I actually just made these today with blueberries! It turned out great! I used fresh blueberries and cooked them a little over low heat just to make them a little juicier. I ended up kneading them into the dough at the beginning and that worked out well. I also added a splash of vanilla which I have seen in other blueberry bagel recipes.
It is important to note that I needed to add extra flour while kneading the dough because the blueberries added a lot of extra liquid to the dough, but I just added a little flour at a time while kneaded until it reached the right consistency. The blueberries will get smashed and burst but that will just make the dough that nice purple color that blueberry bagels have so I was happy with the results! I didn’t have malt barley syrup so I added a tablespoon of molasses to the boiling water and that worked great. Then I just followed the recipe above for the rest of the steps.
I think if you want more of a blueberry flavor to them you’ll need to also add dried blueberries or freeze dried blueberries, but I didn’t have either so didn’t do that this time around. They still tasted great though!
Heather…. Thank you SO much for coming in to say this. I’m going to try it. I’m ok with the dough turning purple. I’m stopping at Trader Joe’s today and I know they have dried blueberries so I’ll get some of those and they also have my FAVORITE frozen wild blueberries which is what I wanted to try. I’ll report back! And thanks again!
Happy to help! Frozen blueberries might work even better since they’ll probably keep their shape better than fresh ones when you are kneading it into the dough. Let me know how it turns out! This is such a great base recipe for bagels that the possibilities for variations are endless. I also made cheddar jalapeno bagels and those were SO good!
Ok… I should have tried doing the blueberries at the beginning. They were a MESS to add at the end. I threw the whole thing out. I’ll try one more time at the beginning. It may be easier to get a ticket to come to NYC 🙂
i’ve made these twice so far and get so many compliments! For sure highly recommend
This is, by far, the BEST bagel recipe I have ever made. They are so easy and delicious!! I live in the northeast and everyone has their opinion on the best bagels!! I have made at least a dozen different recipes over the years, but my kids usually end up at the bagel store on Sunday morning. We love chewy bagels and these are it!! I am going to make a batch to freeze! Thanks!!