Homemade Blueberry Bagels
Homemade blueberry bagels are a delightful twist on the classic bagel, featuring bursts of juicy blueberries throughout the dough. These bagels combine the satisfying chewiness of traditional bagels with the sweet and tangy flavour of blueberries. Making them from scratch allows for a fresher taste and the ability to control the quality of ingredients.
In this blog post, you will learn how to make homemade blueberry bagels.
How to Make Blueberry Bagels
Yeast Mixture
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the warm water, instant yeast, and a small pinch of sugar. This helps activate the yeast and ensures your bagels rise properly. Set the mixture aside in a warm place for about 5–10 minutes until it becomes slightly foamy and fragrant, which is a good sign that the yeast is active and ready to use.
Blueberry Bagel Dough
In a separate bowl, combine the bread flour, salt, and sugar, mixing them together so the dry ingredients are evenly distributed. Once the yeast mixture is ready, add the dry ingredients into the bowl along with the blueberries and any juices they release. Stir everything together until a shaggy, slightly dry dough begins to form.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for about 6–7 minutes. As you knead, the dough will become smoother and more elastic. Shape it into a ball once it feels soft and workable. Lightly oil a clean bowl, place the dough inside, and cover it with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Set it in a warm spot and allow it to rise for 60–90 minutes, or until it has doubled in size.
Once the dough has risen, punch it down gently to release the air. Transfer it back onto a floured surface and divide it into 8 equal portions. Roll each portion into a smooth ball, then use your fingers to press a hole into the center of each one, shaping them into classic bagel rings. Place them onto a parchment-lined tray and cover them lightly while you prepare the boiling water.
Boil the Bagels
In a large pot, bring about 2 quarts of water to a boil, filling it roughly two-thirds full. Stir in the honey or brown sugar, which helps give the bagels their signature glossy crust. Preheat your oven while the water comes to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce the heat slightly so the water is at a steady simmer. Carefully drop 2–4 bagels into the water at a time, depending on the size of your pot, making sure they have enough space to float comfortably. Boil each bagel for 1 minute on one side, then flip and boil for another minute on the other side. Remove them carefully and place them onto a baking sheet, repeating the process until all bagels are boiled.
Egg Wash & Bake
Brush each bagel with an egg white wash, making sure to coat the tops and sides for a glossy finish. Bake the bagels rotating the trays halfway through to ensure even baking. Once they are golden and baked through, remove them from the oven and let them cool for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. These homemade blueberry bagels are chewy, slightly sweet, and perfect fresh or toasted with your favorite spread.
How to Shape the Blueberry Bagels?
Allow the dough to fully rise which will take about 60-90 minutes. Once it has risen, make sure to punch the air out of the dough. Shaping your bagels involves dividing the dough into equal portions, forming smooth balls, and then creating the characteristic hole in the centre.
Divide the dough into equal portions and form them into smooth balls. Next take your two thumbs and poke through the centre of the balls to make the characteristic hole in the centre of the bagel. Continue to stretch the hole by inserting both index fingers and gently stretching the dough outwards. Rotate as you until the hole is about 1.5-2 inches (3.8-5 cm) in diameter. When the bagels are boiling the holes will close up a little, so make the hole larger than what it should be.
Do I Need to Put Honey or Brown Sugar into the Boiling Water?
The purpose of adding honey to the boiling water is to enhance the browning, add sweetness, and also contributes to the chewy texture of the bagels. There is very little sugar in the bagels so adding honey or brown sugar to the water adds some sweetness to them. This is a traditional technique that gives your bagels an authentic and appealing taste and appearance.
Can I Skip Boiling the Bagels?
Yes, this step can be skipped. I have tried both ways and boiling the bagels does have better results than skipping this step. Non-boiled bagels will have a harder crust, lack some sweetness, and not be as chewy. They are still good to eat, but there will be a noticeable difference.
Even if you choose not to boil them, make sure to still give them an egg wash before baking them in the oven.
How to Store the Bagels
Room Temperature: bagels can be stored for about 2-3 days at room temperature.
Refrigerator: bagels can be stored for about a week in the refrigerator.
Freezer: bagels can be stored for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Ensure proper storage to maintain freshness by using airtight containers and wrapping the bagels tightly. If you reheat them by toasting or baking, these methods can help to revive some of the texture and flavour.
Ingredients
Bread/Strong Flour: bread/strong flour has a higher protein amount in it which gives the bagels a chewier texture because it has more gluten development.
Water: water is used for the hydration of the flour while helping the activate the yeast. Precise water content is needed to prevent sticky dough or dry dough.
Yeast: yeast is the leavening agent in this recipe. You can use either active or instant yeast.
Sugar: sugar is what feeds the yeast while adding sweetness.
Salt: salt is a flavour enhancer.
Boiling Water: boiling water is used to boil the bagels before baking. The water normally has malt syrup or honey in it.
Honey: honey gives the bagels an added to sweetness to the crust.
Egg White: egg whites are used for the egg wash. This gives the bagels a shiny, golden-brown finish when they are finished baking.
Tips
- For the bagels to bake evenly, try to make each portion of dough the same size.
- As the bagel hole shrinks once it is boiled, make it bigger than you want it to be.
- A skimmer spoon is a great tool to help insert and remove the bagels from the pot of boiling water.
Try these other bread recipes with yeast!
Homemade Blueberry Bagels
Ingredients
- 1/2 c. warm water
- 7 g packet of instant yeast (1 ½ tsp.)
- Pinch of sugar
- 4 c. bread flour/strong flour
- 1 c. blueberries with the juice (thawed from frozen)
- 1 tbsp. sugar granulated
- 2 tsp. salt
- 2 Quarts boiling water approx. fill 2/3 of your pot
- 1/8 c. honey or brown sugar
Instructions
- Whisk your warm water, packet of instant yeast, and pinch of sugar together in a large bowl. Set aside for 5-10 minutes in a warm place to let the yeast activate.
- In a separate medium bowl, mix your bread flour, salt, and sugar together.
- Once the yeast is activated, pour the dry ingredients and blueberries with the juices into the yeast mixture and stir until it has come together in a rather dry ball.
- Pour the dough out onto a floured worktop and knead for 6-7 minutes. Form into a ball.
- Once you have finished kneading, lightly oil a bowl and place the lightly oiled kneaded dough into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel and place in warm place to let rise for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Once your dough has risen, punch down into the dough to release any air trapped inside. Pour out onto a lightly floured surface and cut the dough into 8 even pieces of dough.
- Roll each dough piece into a ball. Press your fingers through the middle to make a 1”-2” hole in the centre and place onto a tray lined with parchment paper. Cover with a tea towel while the water is brought to a boil.
- In a pot, pour in the 2 quarts of water or to fill it to approximately 2/3 full of water. Pour your honey (or brown sugar) into the water and bring to a boil.
- Preheat oven to 425℉/220℃/Gas Mark 7.
- Once your water has boiled reduce the heat to medium. Place your bagels into the boiling water. You want them to float comfortably in the water so it will depend on the size of your pot how many bagels can be put into the water at a time. For most pots it will be 2-4 bagels.
- Boil on one side for 1 minute then flip and boil on the other side for 1 more minute.
- Remove from the water and place onto your baking sheet. Continue to do this for the rest of your bagels.
- Brush your egg whitewash over each bagel, making sure to get the sides.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the baking trays halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking of the bagels.
- Remove from the oven and let cool. After 5 minutes remove from the trays and transfer to a cooling rack.
Notes
Author: Sarah Young
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use fresh or frozen blueberries?
Yes! Both fresh and frozen blueberries work well in this recipe just like in my Blueberry Galette Recipe. If using frozen blueberries, add them straight from the freezer without thawing to help prevent the dough from turning purple.
Why didn’t my bagels rise?
Your yeast may have expired, the water may have been too hot or too cold, or the dough may not have been given enough time to rise. The dough should roughly double in size before shaping.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes! After the first rise, cover the dough and refrigerate it overnight. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before shaping and boiling.
How do I know when the bagels are done baking?
The bagels should be golden brown on the outside and sound slightly hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Can I use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour?
Yes. Bread flour is actually preferred for bagels because its higher protein content creates a chewier texture.
How should I serve blueberry bagels?
Blueberry bagels are delicious toasted with butter, cream cheese, whipped honey butter, strawberry cream cheese, or your favorite fruit preserves.
Why are my bagels dense?
Dense bagels are usually caused by under-kneading the dough, not allowing enough rising time, or adding too much flour during mixing.
Can I add other mix-ins?
Yes! Try adding lemon zest, cinnamon, white chocolate chips, or dried blueberries for extra flavor and variety.
Can I toast homemade blueberry bagels?
Definitely! Toasting enhances their chewy texture and brings out the sweet blueberry flavor, making them even more delicious for breakfast or a snack.