New York Style Bagels

If you're gonna make homemade bagels, you've gotta make New York style bagels!! Any other type of bagel will not satisfy your bagel needs. You need a bagel that is chewy on the outside, soft on the inside, and never ever dense. A bagel that tastes amazing with just plain cream cheese and is sturdy enough for an epic breakfast sandwich. You NEED these New York style bagels. 

For more bread and dough recipes, try Overnight Brioche Bread, Salted Honey Milk Bread Rolls, and Pesto Brioche Swirl Bread.

Ingredient Notes

• Flour: To achieve the soft & chewy balance I landed on a combination of all-purpose and bread flour.
• Yeast: You can use either active dry or instant yeast here!
• Salt: Kosher salt is a very important ingredient in all baking recipes, but it is especially important in these bagels. It adds flavor to the yeasted dough and helps to produce the right texture. Don't skip on the kosher salt!
• Granulated Sugar: A small amount of sugar helps to activate the yeast, as well as adds flavor.
• Malted Milk Powder: This is probably my favorite secret ingredient to add to baked goods, because it adds a subtle, malty sweetness that you just can't put your finger on but reminds you of classic bakery & diner baked goods from your childhood. It's also the key ingredient to helping baked goods stay soft for longer!
• Water: It's true what people say about something in the water that creates the most amazing bagels here in New York. So I only recommend using NYC water to make these bagels. JK 😉 But the right amount of hydration is crucial in this recipe, so be sure to weigh your water very precisely!

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.

Step by Step Instructions

Here are step by step photos and instructions on how to make this New York style bagel recipe! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.

STEP 1: Combine wet and dry ingredients. In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flours, yeast, salt, sugar, and malted milk powder.

STEP 2: Mix. Add the lukewarm water and mix on medium speed for just a couple minutes until the dough is smooth.

STEP 3: Cover and proof. Transfer the dough to a large greased bowl, cover, and place in the fridge to rise overnight. Alternatively, you can rise the dough at room temperature for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.

STEP 4: Divide. Once the dough has proofed, divide it into 12 equally sized balls. 

STEP 5: Roll and proof. Roll each into a smooth ball and place on a well-floured parchment lined baking sheet spaced a few inches apart. Dust each ball with more flour and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Place in a warm spot to rise for about 1 hour or until room temp and puffy. If the dough was proofed at room temperature for the first rise, they should only need about 20-30 minutes for the second rise. With about 20 minutes of proof time left, make the water bath.

STEP 6: Shape. Once the dough is done proofing, use your thumb to push a hole into the centers of each, pick them up and gently twirl them around to stretch out the hole. 

STEP 7: Boil. Once all of the bagels have been shaped, reduce the water to a simmer and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place 2 bagels at a time in the water for 30 seconds on each side. 

STEP 8: Top and bake. After all of the bagels have been in the water bath, brush each with an egg white and sprinkle with desired toppings. Bake the bagels for 18-20 minutes or until evenly golden on top. Allow bagels to cool completely before cutting. 

Expert Baking Tips

• If you do not have bread flour, you can substitute with an equal amount of all-purpose flour. Keep in mind that they will not be quite as chewy. 
• Do not substitute or leave out the malted milk powder.
• I highly recommend letting the dough rise overnight. It will be much easier to shape the bagels. 
• These bagels are best eaten the day that they are made, but can be stored at room temperature for one day. They can also be frozen for up to three months. 

All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale. 

If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.

But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!

Happy baking! x