Homemade Cinnamon Raisin Bagels
Total Time
3 hours
Prep Time
2 hours, 10 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Rating
4.6 out of 5 stars
(63)
Ingredients
8 bagels
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) warm water
- 2 and 3/4 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast*
- 4 cups (520g) bread flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for work surface and hands*
- 1 Tablespoon (13g) packed light or dark brown sugar (or barley malt syrup)*
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (110g) raisins
- 3 Tablespoons (38g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- nonstick spray or 1 Tablespoon olive oil (for coating the bowl)
- 2 quarts water (for water bath)
- 1/4 cup (85g) honey (or barley malt syrup)*
- 1 egg white beaten with 1 Tablespoon water (egg wash)
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Preparation
Chef’s notes
Overnight Make Ahead Instructions:
Prepare the dough through step 4, but allow the dough to rise overnight in the refrigerator instead of at room temperature for 60-90 minutes. The slow rise gives the bagels wonderful flavor! In the morning, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let the dough rise for 45 minutes at room temperature. Continue with step 5.
Freezing Make Ahead Instructions:
Baked bagels freeze wonderfully! Freeze them for up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then warm to your liking. You can also freeze the bagel dough. After punching down the dough in step 6, wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then punch the dough down again to release any air bubbles. Continue with the rest of step 6.
Special Tools:
Stand Mixer, Baking Sheets, Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mats, Large Pot (such as a large 5.5 quart dutch oven), Pastry Brush.
Yeast:
Use instant or active dry yeast. If using active dry yeast, the rise time may be up to 2 hours. 1 standard packet is about 2 and 1/4 teaspoons, so you will need a little more than 1 packet of yeast.
Bread Flour:
Bagels require a high protein flour. Bread flour is a must. All-purpose flour can be used in a pinch, but the bagels will taste flimsy and won’t be nearly as chewy.
Barley Malt Syrup:
This ingredient can be a little hard to find, but truly gives bagels that traditional malty flavor. Most natural food stores carry it. Alternatives such as brown sugar in the dough and honey in the water bath are suggested.
Bread Machine:
Place the dough ingredients into the pan of the machine. Program the machine to dough or manual, then start. After 9-10 minutes, the dough will be quite stiff. Allow the machine to complete its cycle, then continue with the recipe.
Halve or Double:
You can halve this dough recipe by simply halving all of the dough ingredients (do not halve the water or honey for the boiling step). No changes to the recipe instructions. For best taste and texture and to not overwhelm your mixer with excess heavy dough, do not recommend doubling this dough recipe. Instead, make separate batches of dough.
Adapted from a mix of recipes I’ve tried:
King Arthur Flour, Cook’s Illustrated, and Complete Book of Breads.