Light and Airy Bagels
When I think of bagels, I want them to be light and airy bagels. For some reason my most recent bagel purchases whether that is at a farmers market or bakery, end up being quite dense. When I saw Baked by Laora make what looked to be light and airy bagels, I knew I had to try to make them. My only addition was to add cottage cheese with the Greek yogurt, and these turned out just as good as I imagined.
Ingredients
- flour (I used all-purpose)
- water
- yeast
- salt
- eggs
- Greek yogurt
- cottage cheese
Why You’ll Love These Bagels
If you’ve ever been intimidated by baking with yeast, these homemade bagels are a great place to start. The dough is incredibly easy to work with, and while the total recipe time may seem long, most of its completely hands off while the dough rises, rests and bakes. There’s no complicated technique or special equipment required. Just mix the dough, let the yeast do it’s magic, shape your bagels, boil and bake. The result is a light and airy homemade bagel that’s perfect for breakfast, sandwiches, or simply toasted with your favorite spread.
How to Make Light and Airy Bagels
Step 1: Combine the Dry Ingredients
Add the flour, yeast, and salt to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. You can also use a stand mixer.
Step 2: Blend the Wet Ingredients
Add the eggs, yogurt, and cottage cheese in a food processor or magic bullet. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Step 3: Make the Bagel Dough
Pour the blended wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Add the water and mix until a dough begins to form. Continue mixing and kneading the dough until the dough is smooth and everything is well combined. About 6-8 minutes. Alternatively, you can run your stand mixer for 6 minutes.
Step 4: Let the Dough Rise
Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 45 minutes. The dough should look slightly puffed and relaxed.
Step 5: Divide and Shape the Bagels
Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and shape each portion into a ball. Use your fingers to poke a hole through the center of each ball, then gently stretch the dough to form a bagel shape.
Step 6: Let the Bagels Rest
Place the shaped bagels on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let them rest for an additional 40 minutes.
Step 7: Bake the Bagels
Preheat the oven to 365. Bake the bagels for 18 to 22 minutes. If you are using an egg wash, wash before baking. Let them cool for 20 minutes before slicing.
Variations
While the recipe is to make plain bagels, the possibilities are endless on what you can top your bagel dough with:
Everything – Brush the tops of the bagels with an egg wash and generously sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning before baking.
Sesame Seed – Brush the the bagels with egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds before baking.
Cheddar Jalapeno – Mix shredded cheddar cheese and finely diced jalapenos into the dough before the first rise. Add a little extra cheddar cheese on top before baking.
Cinnamon Raisin – Add cinnamon and raisins to the dough for a slightly sweet breakfast bagel. Soaking and draining the raisins first can help keep them soft while the bagels are baking.
Asiago Cheese – Sprinkle freshly grated Asiago cheese over the tops of the bagels just before baking. You can also mix a little cheese directly into the dough.
Garlic Parmesan – Brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with garlic powder, dried parsley and grated Parmesan cheese before baking.
Light and Airy Bagels - Easy Homemade Bagel Recipe
Light and Airy Bagels! These are perfect with cream cheese, made into a breakfast sandwich with eggs and cheese, or even a delicious deli turkey sandwich. This recipe was adapted from Baked by Laora.
Ingredients
- 750 grams flour (I used all-purpose)
- 275 ml water
- 7 grams yeast
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 large eggs
- 120 grams nonfat Greek yogurt
- 120 grams 4% cottage cheese
- Optional: egg wash (1 egg yolk mixed with 1 teaspoon water)
Instructions
Prepare the dry ingredients.
Add the flour, yeast, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Stir until evenly combined.
Blend the wet ingredients.
Add the eggs, nonfat Greek yogurt, and cottage cheese to a blender (or magic bullet). Blend until smooth and creamy.
Make the dough.
Pour the blended egg mixture and water into the dry ingredients. Mix until a dough forms. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic.
Let the dough rise.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot for about 45 minutes.
Shape the bagels.
Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and shape each portion into a ball. Gently stretch a hole through the center of each ball to create the bagel shape. Make the center hole slightly larger than you think it needs to be since it will shrink as the dough rests and bakes.
Let the bagels rest.
Place the shaped bagels on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rest for an additional 40 minutes.
Preheat the oven.
While the bagels are finishing their second rise, preheat the oven to 365°F.
Bake the bagels.
Optional: Brush bagels with egg wash. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the bagels are puffed and golden brown. Baking time may vary slightly depending on your oven.
Cool and enjoy.
Transfer the bagels to a cooling rack and let them cool before slicing. This helps the inside finish setting and gives you that light, airy texture.
Notes
Each bagel (without toppings) is 10 WW points.
Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 387Total Fat 3gSaturated Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 50mgSodium 627mgCarbohydrates 75gFiber 3gSugar 2gProtein 14g
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If you are new here, welcome to My Bizzy Kitchen! I started this blog nearly 18 years ago to document my recipes and daily life, never imagining it would one day become my full-time career. After losing my husband nearly 10 years ago, I navigated the hardest chapter of my life while still finding joy in cooking and sharing my journey.
In December 2020, I took a leap of faith and left my 30-year career as a legal secretary to pursue My Bizzy Kitchen full-time, a decision that changed my life.
Two years later, in October 2022, I was able to hire my daughter, Hannah, full-time, which brings me so much joy. Now, My Bizzy Kitchen is more than just recipes. It’s about embracing life, finding balance, and making healthy living sustainable and fun.
Follow along for delicious recipes (mostly Weight Watchers friendly!), realistic weight loss tips, and my daily adventures on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook (@mybizzykitchen). Let’s get bizzy in the kitchen together!
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