These Rosemary Bagels are a perfect summer bagel packed with fresh rosemary. They can be topped with eggs for breakfast, made into a sandwich (imagine these as a BLT!), or served with cream cheese as a snack. And even better: bagels freeze well! So you can make a batch and freeze some to enjoy later.
If you're looking for other bagels and baked goods, check out these Sourdough Discard Bagels, Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels, and this Black Pepper Focaccia.
This recipe does not use sourdough discard (many of the recipes that I share do!) so anyone can make them. If you are looking for sourdough discard recipes, you can find all of my sourdough discard recipes here.
Jump to:
Why you'll love this recipe
- Homemade bagels are not hard to make (with about 20 minutes of hands-on time) and are absolutely delicious! You won't be running out on the weekends to grab bagels in the morning!
- Bagels freeze well, so you can make a batch now and freeze some for later.
- Fresh rosemary and flaky sea salt are a wonderful flavor combination that will have you craving more!
Ingredients
There are only a few key ingredients you'll need to make these Rosemary Bagels.
- Bread flour: Using bread flour helps these bagels have more of a chewy crust. In a pinch, you could use all-purpose flour instead (this will make a softer, less crusty bagel).
- Granulated sugar: You need a little sugar to feed the yeast, and then a few Tablespoons of sugar in the water when you boil the bagels.
- Instant yeast: Instant yeast does not need to bloom, so you can add all the ingredients and mix at the same time.
- Fresh rosemary: I highly recommend using fresh rather than dried rosemary. A coarse chop is fine!
- Egg: These bagels get brushed with an egg wash before baking. See the below section on substitutions and variations if you're not interested in baking with eggs.
- Flaky sea salt: I like to use Maldon Sea Salt to finish the bagels.
See full recipe below for detailed directions.
Substitutions & Variations
This is a very adaptable recipe and below are a few easy substitutions and variations you can try.
- Sourdough Discard Rosemary Bagels - If you want to make Rosemary Bagels with sourdough discard, use my recipe for Sourdough Discard Bagels. Add 2 Tablespoons of chopped, fresh rosemary to the dough as you're mixing.
- Roasted Garlic Rosemary Bagels - Roast one head of garlic in the oven, then let cool. Peel and coarsely chop the roasted garlic, then add to the dough when you add the chopped rosemary. Continue to follow the directions as written.
- To avoid eggs - If you're not interested in baking with eggs, you can omit the egg wash and brush the bagels with melted butter or even water before sprinkling with sea salt. Continue to bake as directed.
I have not tested this recipe with other variations, but if you do, let us know how it turns out in the comments! I always love to hear how you're adapting these recipes and use those as ideas for future recipes as well!
How to make Rosemary Bagels
Making Rosemary Bagels is easy and comes together in just a few steps. The secret to success: make sure you knead the dough long enough!
Combine all dry ingredients, including the chopped rosemary, in the bowl of a stand mixer.
With the mixer on low speed, add the warm water and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead until smooth. The dough should be smooth and not sticky (perhaps slightly tacky, but not sticky).
Place the dough in a large, oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature for 60-90 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Transfer the dough to a work surface and divide into 8-10 equal-sized pieces (8 pieces will make larger bagels; 10 pieces will make smaller bagels). This doesn't have to be exact. Use a kitchen scale to measure the dough if you want your bagels to be perfectly equal in size.
Using the palm of your hand for friction, roll each piece into a ball.
Use your thumb to press a hole in the center of the dough, and use both hands to stretch the hole.
Boil the bagels for 15-30 seconds on each side, then transfer to the baking sheet.
Brush each bagel with egg wash.
Lightly sprinkle with sea salt, then bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Let the bagels cool before slicing and serving.
Expert Baking Tips
- Make sure to knead the dough long enough. If your dough is not smooth, your final bagels will look shaggy (and not smooth).
- Ensure the dough is the right consistency. The dough should be smooth and not sticky before you set it in the bowl for the first rise. If your dough seems too sticky, or too dry, add more flour or water (1 Tablespoon at a time) to reach your desired consistency.
- Be patient with the rise! Rise times will vary depending on the temperature of your room. In a warmer room, the dough will rise quicker. In a cooler room, the dough will rise slower. If needed, let the dough rise longer (it should be doubled in size).
- Don't let the dough over-rise! If you let the dough become more than doubled in size, your bagels will be very puffy and may even look more like rolls.
- Make the bagel hole larger than you think it needs to be. The dough will rise quite a bit while boiling and baking, and it's easy for the center hole of the bagel to close up.
- Pass the float test! When you put your bagels into the boiling water, they should float. If they don't, cover and let rest for 10 minutes before trying again.
What is the float test?
When you put your bagels in the boiling water, they should float. I recommend doing this with one test bagel first, so you can adjust if needed. If the bagel floats, it has passed the float test! If the bagel does not float, then they're not yet ready to boil and need to take a bit more time to rise.
If the bagels float: This indicates that the dough has risen enough and the bagels will be light and airy once they're baked. Go ahead and boil and bake the bagels as directed!
If the bagels do not float: This indicates that the dough is too dense. If you boil and bake them now, your final bagels will be too dense and chewy. Cover the unboiled bagels with a clean kitchen towel again, and let sit for 10 more minutes to let the dough rise more. Then, try the float test again.
Troubleshooting Bagel Issues
There are a few common issues that can come up when making bagels:
- My bagels turned into rolls: If the center hole of your bagels completely closed up and your bagels look like rolls, this can mean:
- You did not shape the bagel correctly. Stretch the center hole to be larger than you think it needs to be - it closes up a lot during the boiling and baking processes!
- You let the dough rise too long. If you let the dough rise longer than needed (more than doubled in size), the bagels will be very puffy and more like rolls. They'll be delicious, but just not bagel-shaped!
- My bagels look shaggy: If your bagels look shaggy after baking, you did not knead the dough long enough. Knead the dough until completely smooth before the first rise.
- My bagels don't float: If your bagels are not passing the float test, they likely need a few more minutes to rise. Cover the unboiled bagels with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 10 minutes, then try again.
- My bagels are sticking to the bottom of the pot: If your bagels are sticking to the bottom of the pot, use a spoon or spatula to try to knock them loose. If they float after that, they're good to continue. If they still don't float, cover with a clean kitchen towel and let the unboiled bagels rise for another 10 minutes before continuing.
- Bagels that stick to the pot often have too much liquid in the dough. You can't change that now, but a little extra rise time might help!
Equipment
I like to use a KitchenAid 5-Quart Stand Mixer to make the dough, but you can also do this with a large bowl and wooden spoon. You'll also need a large bowl where the dough will rise.
Use a large pot (I use a Staub Cocotte) to boil the water for the bagels. You'll also need two baking sheets, a slotted spoon or spatula, and a silicone brush for the egg wash.
Storage
Room Temperature Storage: Homemade bagels are best fresh, of course! Once cooled, they can be stored in a sealed plastic bag at room temperature for up to three days. Reheat the bagels in the microwave for about 30 seconds to make them warm and soft again.
Freezer Storage: Bagels freeze very well. Once fully cooled, you can freeze the bagels in a freezer-safe plastic bag or container for up to 3 months. Reheat frozen bagels in the microwave for about 60 seconds until warm and soft again.
Recipe FAQ
No, this is optional. You can also make the dough in a large bowl with a wooden spoon.
I highly recommend using fresh rosemary for this recipe - it gives so much more flavor!
If your bagels don't pass the float test (floating in the water during the boil), then cover the unboiled bagels with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 10 minutes. Then try again. It's likely they just needed a few more minutes of rising time!
If your bagels look shaggy once they've baked, that's a sign that you didn't knead the dough for long enough. Make sure to knead the dough until it is completely smooth. This will give you a smooth final bagel!
Rosemary Bagels
Ingredients
- 4 ¼ cups bread flour
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar divided
- 2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary coarsely chopped
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ½ cups warm water
- 1 egg white plus 1 Tablespoon water for egg wash
- flaky sea salt for topping
Instructions
- Combine flour, 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar, instant yeast, salt, pepper and chopped rosemary in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Mix to combine.
- On low speed, add the water until combined. Increase speed to medium and knead for 4-5 minutes until a smooth dough forms (you can also knead by hand). After kneading, the dough should be smooth and not sticky. If needed, add more flour or water (1 Tablespoon at a time) to reach your desired dough consistency.
- Transfer the dough to a large oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Turn the dough out onto a smooth surface and divide into 8-10 equal pieces. 8 pieces will give you 8 large bagels; 10 pieces will give you 10 smaller bagels. Roll each piece in your palm to form a smooth ball, then use your thumb to press through the center of each ball, stretching the hole to form your bagel. Cover the bagels with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 20 minutes while you prepare the next step.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Prepare 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper and set aside. Bring a pot with 2 quarts of water and 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar to a boil.
- Place your bagels in the boiling water for 15-30 seconds on each side*. The bagels should float (if not, see notes below). You can likely fit 2-3 bagels in the pot at a time, just make sure there is enough room for them to float openly as they will expand. Remove from the boiling water using a slotted spoon and transfer to the prepared baking sheets. If needed, you can reshape the bagels a little after they've cooled.
- Lightly brush the bagels with egg wash, then sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool fully before serving.
Steph says
First time making bagels and this recipe was so easy to follow! I enjoyed the process very much. They came out absolutely delicious and zero complaints from my family. Thank you!