Julie Clark
Posted:
Whole Wheat Bagels
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Learn how to make savory and delicious Whole Wheat Bagels with a perfectly chewy bagel texture. Top with everything seasoning.
Fun fact about me; One of my all-time favorite breakfasts is a warm toasted bagel, that has been buttered and smeared with a good dollop of tangy cream cheese.
The very idea of making homemade bagels was so foreign and daunting to me, that I actually avoided trying it for years.
When I finally got up the courage to try, I realized that not only are they really easy to make, but they are also be so much fun! If you have been wanting to try your hand at homemade bagels, I encourage you to give this simple whole wheat bagel recipe a try. They have an amazing outer crust, and a chewy texture that is to die for.
Bagel Additions:
Looking to add a different flavor to your bagels? Try raisins, chocolate chips or any other dried fruit. You could even add our cinnamon chips for a cinnamon crunch bagel.
Bagel Toppings:
This whole wheat bagel recipe calls for an “everything” topping, but honestly you could customize the topping to whatever suits your fancy. I often top them with just sesame seeds, or a seeded oat mixture, and if I am feeling like something a little sweet, these taste absolutely amazing when topped with cinnamon sugar.
So I definitely encourage you to play around with different flavor combinations to suite your family & just have some a good time baking them, because that really is half the fun!
We’ve served our grilled pork burgers on these whole wheat bagels. They are great even for breakfast!
Love whole wheat? Try our sourdough discard whole wheat bread, whole wheat sourdough pancakes or whole wheat cinnamon pancakes.
Whole Wheat Bagels
Learn how to make savory and delicious Whole Wheat Bagels with a perfectly chewy bagel texture. Top with everything seasoning.
Servings 8 servings
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Rise Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Ingredients
For the everything seasoning:
- 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dried onion flakes
- 1 tablespoon dried garlic flakes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
For the bagels:
- 1 1/2 cups warm water 110-115ºF
- 1 package instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 3/4 cups bread flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 pot of boiling water
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup cornmeal for the baking sheet
- 1 egg, to brush on bagels beaten
Instructions
- To make the seasoning, mix everything together in a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside. 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, 3 tablespoons poppy seeds , 1 ½ tablespoons dried onion flakes, 1 tablespoon dried garlic flakes , 1 ½ teaspoons coarse sea salt
- Pour the warm water into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and allow the yeast to activate for 3-4 minutes. 1 ½ cups warm water, 1 package instant yeast
- Add in the molasses, flours and salt and begin mixing with the paddle attachment. Mix just until combined and let the dough rest for 5 minutes. 2 tablespoons molasses , 2 cups whole wheat flour , 1 ¾ cups bread flour , 2 teaspoons salt
- Switch to the dough hook and knead the dough for 5-7 minutes on low speed.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with a towel. Allow the dough to rise for 30-35 minutes or until the dough is nearly doubled.
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Once the dough has risen, punch it down to release the air and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.
- Cut the dough into 8 equal portions. Shape into balls. Use your thumb to punch a hole through the center of each ball. Gently stretch the hole to the desired size, shaping the bagel. Set aside on the prepared baking sheet. Allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes.
- While the dough is resting, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add baking soda and sugar, stirring to dissolve fully. 1 pot of boiling water, 2 teaspoons baking soda , 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- Depending on the size of your pot, place 3-4 bagels into the boiling water at a time. Boil for 60 seconds on one side, flip the bagel and boil for another 60 seconds on the other side. Remove from boiling water with a strainer or slotted spoon, allowing excess liquid to drip off.
- Sprinkle cornmeal over the parchment paper, then place the bagels onto the baking sheet. Brush the bagels with the beaten egg and sprinkle with everything seasoning. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving. ¼ cup cornmeal, 1 egg, to brush on bagels
Notes
- Swap out the molasses for the same amount of honey if desired. The bagels might not be quite as dark in color though.
- Makes 8 full size bagels.
- To freeze your bagels, allow them to cool completely and place them in a sealed plastic bag. Freeze for up to 6 weeks.
- Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks. The calories shown are based on the recipe making 6 bagels, with 1 serving being 1 bagel. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. **
Nutrition
Calories: 390kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 1508mg | Potassium: 340mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 410IU | Vitamin C: 0.7mg | Calcium: 138mg | Iron: 3.7mg
I wanted to know if this dough can be left to rise overnight in the fridge.
I do not have instant yeast. How could I adjust the recipe for active dry yeast?
I’ve made quite a few batches of bagels (my new quarantine hobby), but this has been the best recipe I have found to date! Growing up in NY, you get to critique a lot of bagels. To me – it’s all about the “chew.” I just took my first bight of a freshly toasted everything. Holy Friggin’ Delicious!
I think the molasses is what really helped with the overall texture – all that sugar
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
I tried another recipe for whole wheat bagels last week and the bagels came out too dense. But wow, these bagels came out perfect! They were chewy on the outside and soft on the inside. This recipe will now be my go to. The only change I made was to use molasses instead of sugar in the boiling water so the flavor would be more malt-like. It worked as they taste like NY bagels.
I have made this recipe 4 times now, and it’s awesome. My only problem is that my husband now thinks that his daily bagel which used to be Thomas’s should now be this instead. Great idea, except who has time to do this EVERY week?
I just had to comment and say that I’m not much of a breads baker but holy cow these came out perfectly the first time nad made me feel like a superstar!! Thank you so much for such easy and clear instructions. The only thing I changed is I made a wash from almond milk + agave (I’m vegan) and wow wow I cannot believe how perfect these are. So satisfying!!
Can you substitute sugar for the molasses?
My son and I made these and they were delicious! I just had a question about the baking soda and sugar. I see it in the ingredients but I don’t see where they are included in the instructions. We did not use them and the bagels came our fine. I was just curious. Thanks!
These are amazing 💕 my husband will
Not eat wheat anything and he actually loved these!
Is the nutritional info for 1/8?
Thanks !
Hi!
I tried making these but I must have done something wrong because they turned out very dense, I guess they didn’t rise like they were suppose to. I suspect it is because I did something wrong with the yeast, it was a brand new pack but it didn’t foam, it almost seemed like it was too diluted by the water. Any tips for the future? Thanks.
Hi!! Thanks for recipe. Could you write the ingredients in gr? Here, in Spain, we don’t use cup as messure..
Another question, if I only use whole wheat flour, how many water i have to add?
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I never made bagels before and they came out perfect. I used 2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour and 1.5 cups white whole wheat flour. I ate the first one untoasted with corn butter (from Forks Over Knives). Also, used Trader Joe’s Everything but the Bagel Seasoning .
I’m a beginner at making bagels – not bread: I’m used to working with yeast, rising times, etc – so I set out on a search for a good whole wheat bagel recipe. This is the third bagel recipe I’ve tried and this is the first that worked out perfectly! I followed the recipe exactly (not typical for me!) and they turned out beautifully. The only change was I took them out after 15 mins and they were perfectly done. My husband said it was the best bagel he has ever eaten. 🙂
Is there a video or pictures on how to prepare the bagels?
Ok, I just made these. The house smells like a NY bagel shop, they look amazing and they taste incredible!! I’m so excited to have this recipe! I do Suzanne Somers weight loss program and I made these legal…I found fat free cream cheese and whipped it with grilled chopped scallions and a little garlic powder…absolutely outstanding!!