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American

New York-style bagels

Vegetarian

Dense, chewy bagels with a shiny, blistered crust, made from a stiff dough that is cold-retarded overnight, briefly boiled and then baked hot.

New York-style bagels is an American bread from United States, ready in about 14 hours 45 minutes and made with bread flour, instant yeast and honey. It serves 8 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
40 min
Cook
35 min
Rest
1 h 30 min
Total
14 h 45 min
Serves
8
Level
Intermediate
Calories
233

Includes a 12-hour overnight cold retard in the fridge (12–18 hours is fine).

Ingredients

8 bagels

For boiling

Toppings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the flour, yeast, salt, honey (opens in a new tab) and 280 g water into a stiff, shaggy dough. Knead 10–12 minutes (low speed in a mixer) until smooth and very firm. Rest covered 30 minutes.

    Hands kneading dough on a floured surface
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Divide into 8 pieces of about 100 g and shape: roll each into a 25 cm rope, wrap it around your hand so the ends overlap under your palm, and roll the join on the counter to seal. Set on a lightly oiled, lined tray.

    • 15 min

  3. Step 3

    Cover tightly and refrigerate 12–18 hours. This slow cold retard builds the flavour and the blistered crust.

    • 2 min

  4. Step 4

    Next day, take the bagels out 30–60 minutes before baking. Check readiness with the float test: drop one into cold water — if it floats within 10 seconds it is ready. Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 230 °C and bring the 3 l water and baking soda (opens in a new tab) to a boil.

  5. Step 5

    Boil 3–4 at a time for 45–60 seconds per side. Lift out with a slotted spoon (opens in a new tab), drain briefly and dip the tops into seeds if using.

    Food safety: Lower bagels gently into the boiling water away from you to avoid splashes.

  6. Step 6

    Bake on the lined tray 18–20 minutes, turning the tray halfway, until deep golden-brown. Cool at least 20 minutes on a rack.

About this dish

Origin
New York, United States · Commonly attributedBagels came to New York with Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe (they are documented in Kraków, Poland); the large, malty, chewy New York style developed there.Also popular in Canada, Poland, IsraelMore food from United States
Dish
Breakfast · Brunch · Breads & flatbreads
Cooking method
Boiled, Oven-baked, Fermented
Taste
savoury, mild, sweet
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-fat · DASH-style
With the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-basedWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly
Cook more with
Bread flour · Instant yeast · Honey · Baking soda
Techniques
Baking · Boiling · Kneading · Fermentation

Allergens

  • Contains: Wheatfrom bread flour
  • Contains: Glutenfrom bread flour
  • Contains, can be adapted: Sesamefrom sesame seeds

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

233 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 95 g · recipe makes 8

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 13%
  • Carbohydrate 82%
  • Fat 4%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
Energy233 kcal245 kcal
Protein7.7 g8.1 g
Carbohydrate47.1 g49.6 g
Net carbohydrate45.4 g47.8 g
Sugars1.7 g1.8 g
Added sugars1.5 g1.6 g
Fibre1.6 g1.7 g
Fat1.1 g1.1 g
Saturated fat0.2 g0.2 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium521 mg548 mg
Salt equivalent1.3 g1.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
68 mg
Calcium
13 mg
Iron
2.8 mg
Magnesium
17 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
0 µg
Vitamin C
0 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
192 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: sesame seeds, poppy seeds.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • A longer boil (up to 90 seconds a side) gives a thicker, chewier crust.

Common mistakes

  • A soft, high-hydration dough gives puffy bread rolls rather than bagels.
  • Over-proofed bagels wrinkle and deflate in the water.

Serve with

  • Split and toast with cream cheese, smoked salmon, red onion and capers.

Storage

  • Best the same day; freeze split bagels up to 2 months.

Reheating

  • Toast from frozen.

Variations

  • Everything bagels: Top with a mix of sesame, poppy seeds, dried garlic, dried onion and flaky salt.
  • Cinnamon-raisin: Knead in 100 g raisins and 1 tbsp cinnamon.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in step 1

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 40 min

    Weigh everything. Knead until smooth and elastic: a small piece stretches thin enough to see light through (the windowpane test).

  2. First rise (bulk) · about 12 h

    About doubled, domed, jiggly, with bubbles on the sides. A floured finger poked in leaves a dent that fills slowly.

  3. Rest · about 30 min

    Covered so it doesn't dry out; relaxed dough rolls and shapes without springing back.

  4. Final proof · about 45 min

    Poke test: the dent springs back slowly and only partly. Springs back fast = needs longer; doesn't spring back = over-proofed, bake now.

  5. Bake · about 30 min at 230 °C

    Deep golden; bread sounds hollow when tapped underneath, or reads 93–96 °C inside (enriched breads 88–90 °C).

  6. Cool · about 20 min

    Cool on a rack before slicing — the crumb is still setting; cutting hot bread makes it gummy.

  7. Start to finish: about 14 h 45 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

The dough

The dough in baker's percentages. Flour = 100%.
IngredientRoleWeightBaker’s %
Bread flourFlour500 g100%
WaterWater280 g56%
HoneySugar15 g3%
SaltSalt10 g2%
Instant yeastYeast4 g0.8%
Total flour
500 g
Hydration
56%
With milk, eggs…
56.5%
Wholegrain
0%

Hydration = water ÷ flour × 100. Milk is about 87% water and eggs about 75%, so they’re shown separately as “with milk, eggs…”.

  • Medium dough (55–65%) — soft and easy to knead; sandwich loaves and rolls.
  • Salt 2% — normal for bread.

If something goes wrong

  • Spreads flat / no oven spring

    Likely causes

    • Over-proofed
    • Weak shaping (no surface tension)
    • Oven not hot enough
    • Too much water for the flour

    What to do

    • Shorten the proof; bake when the poke springs back slowly
    • Shape tightly so the skin is taut
    • Preheat fully (30+ minutes; with a stone or Dutch oven, 45)
    • Lower hydration or use bread flour
  • Pale crust

    Likely causes

    • Oven too cool
    • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
    • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

    What to do

    • Check the oven with a thermometer
    • Brush with egg wash or milk
    • Shorten the fermentation
  • Burnt bottom

    Likely causes

    • Tray too close to the heat
    • Dark tray absorbs more heat
    • Too much sugar in the dough

    What to do

    • Bake on the middle shelf
    • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
    • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
  • Crust too hard or thick

    Likely causes

    • Baked too long at too low a temperature
    • No steam at the start

    What to do

    • Bake hotter for a shorter time
    • Add steam for the first 15 minutes (tray of boiling water, or a covered Dutch oven)
    • Cool under a tea towel for a softer crust

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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