Cheesy garlic bagels are the kind of recipe that ruins store bought bagels for you forever, it least they have for me. Once you taste a still warm bagel with melted cheddar and crunchy minced garlic baked right into the crust, the plastic bagged grocery store version just doesn’t stand a chance. Don’t forget a smear of cream cheese to finish it all off.
This recipe actually starts with my Easy 20 Minute Pizza Dough, the same simple dough I use for weeknight pizza, just slowed way down. Instead of the quick 20 minute rest, you’ll let the dough cold ferment in the fridge for 2 days before shaping, boiling, and baking. That long, slow rise is what turns an already great pizza dough into a chewy, flavorful bagel without needing any special bread flour or fancy technique. They will become your new favorite bagel recipe.
In This Post
Why this Works
Cold fermentation does a lot of the heavy lifting here. Letting the dough rest in the fridge for 2 days instead of rising quickly at room temperature gives the yeast time to develop real flavor and gives the gluten time to relax and strengthen, which is exactly the kind of chew you want in a bagel. It’s the same trick pizzerias use for better crust, just borrowed for bread.
Boiling the shaped bagels before baking is the other non-negotiable step. That quick dip in baking soda water gelatinizes the starches on the surface of the dough, setting the crust before the inside finishes baking. Combine that with cheddar cheese and minced garlic sprinkled on top, and you get a bagel that’s chewy on the inside, golden on the outside, and cheesy and garlicky all the way through.
Heather’s Recipe Notes
Drawing from 20 years of recipe development and my time co-founding a spice company, here’s what makes this recipe worth making exactly as written.
- This dough is just my Easy 20 Minute Pizza Dough with garlic powder added in and a much longer, much colder rise. If you’ve made that recipe before, this will feel familiar.
- Don’t skip the 2 day cold ferment. It’s what gives this dough real bagel chew without switching flours or kneading forever.
- Let the dough sit out for about an hour after it comes out of the fridge. Cold dough is stiff and hard to shape, so a short rest makes it much easier to work with. Feel the bottom of the bowl and if it’s still cold, let it sit for 15-20 minutes longer.
- Sharp cheddar holds up best here. Mild cheddar tends to disappear into the dough, while sharp cheddar keeps its flavor through the boil and bake.
- I like to use dehydrated minced garlic in the topping for a sharper, more aromatic bite.
The Maillard Reaction
The deep golden color on a finished bagel comes from the Maillard reaction, the chemical browning that happens when proteins and sugars in the dough are exposed to high heat. This is what gives a good bagel its slightly nutty, toasty flavor instead of a plain, doughy one.
Because these bagels are boiled first, the surface starches are already partially set by the time they hit the oven, which helps them brown faster and more evenly at 450 degrees. The shredded cheddar on top adds its own browning too, crisping into golden, slightly crunchy edges you will absolutely be picking off the baking sheet.
Ingredients in Homemade Bagels
- All-purpose flour – unbleached, whole wheat, or bread flour.
- Yeast – instant dry yeast was used in this recipe. If using active dry yeast, add it to the warm water with the sugar and allow to bloom for 5 minutes before adding to the flour and salt.
- Kosher salt – if using table salt, cut the amount by 1/2.
- Olive oil – or use a light neutral oil like avocado.
- Warm water – gets the yeast activated.
- Toppings – shredded sharp cheddar cheese and dehydrated minced garlic. You can choose any toppings of choice – see list below of options.
Subs and Variations
- Swap the cheddar. Pepper jack, gruyere, or smoked gouda all work well if you want a different flavor profile.
- Add heat. A few pickled jalapeño slices folded into the dough turn these into jalapeño cheddar bagels.
- Go heavier on herbs. Stir in a tablespoon of chopped chives or everything bagel seasoning along with the garlic for extra depth.
- Make it whole wheat. Substitute a portion of the all purpose flour with whole wheat flour for a heartier, slightly nutty bagel.
- Skip the cheese topping. For a more subtle cheese flavor, fold the cheddar into the dough only and leave the tops plain before baking.
- Go plain. Omit the toppings all together for a delicious homemade plain bagel.
Topping Ideas for Bagels
- Poppy seeds, for that classic bagel shop look and a little earthy crunch.
- Sesame seeds, white or black, for a nutty bite and extra crunch.
- Everything bagel seasoning, an easy way to layer in even more flavor with one sprinkle.
- Flaky sea salt, simple, but it really makes the garlic and cheddar pop.
- Dried minced onion or caraway seeds, if you want a more old school deli style bagel.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Tips for Storing
- Store at room temperature in an airtight bag or container for up to 2 days. Bagels dry out fast once cut, so keep them whole until you’re ready to eat.
- Freeze for longer storage. Cool completely, then freeze in a single layer before transferring to a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
- Slice before freezing. Pre sliced bagels go straight from the freezer to the toaster, no thawing required.
- Refresh day old bagels. A quick 5 minute warm up in a 350 degree oven brings back that just baked texture.
- Avoid the refrigerator. Cold temperatures actually speed up staling, so the fridge is the one place you don’t want to store these.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bagels from scratch start with a simple yeast dough that gets shaped into rings, boiled briefly in baking soda water, then baked until golden. The boiling step is what separates a real bagel from a bread roll, so don’t skip it.
Not as hard as it sounds, especially starting from a dough you already know. Once shaped, homemade bagels really just come down to two steps: boil, then bake. No special bagel making equipment required.
Boiling sets the crust before the inside finishes cooking, which is what gives bagels their dense, chewy texture instead of a soft, fluffy one like a dinner roll.
You can, but the texture and flavor will be closer to a soft dinner roll than a true chewy bagel. The 2 day cold ferment is what gets you that real bagel bite, so it’s worth the wait if you have the time.
Sharp or extra sharp cheddar holds its flavor best through boiling and baking. Mild cheddar tends to get lost in the dough, so go bold.
Yes. Leave out the garlic powder and cheddar and follow the same cold ferment, shape, boil, and bake method for a plain version of this dough.
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Ingredients
Bagel Starter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ¼ tsp instant or quick-rise yeast, see note for active dry yeast instructions
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 3 tsp olive oil, divided
For Bagels
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp water
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 tbsp dehydrated minced garlic
Instructions
Day 1: Bagel Starter
- In the bowl of a food processor add the all purpose flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Pulse to combine. With the processor running, slowly add the water and 2 tsp olive oil until the dough comes together. Continue to process for another 60 seconds.
- Add remaining 1 tsp olive oil to a medium bowl. Add the dough ball and turn to coat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill for 2 days.
Day 3: Baking Day
- Remove the dough from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature for at least 1 hour. Feel the bottom of the bowl and if it's still cold to the touch, allow the dough to sit out for another 30 minutes or so.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 4 equal pieces.
- Flatten and stretch the ball with your hands. Bring the edges into the center and pinch well to form a smooth ball again. Place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat. Repeat with remaining rough dough balls.
- Insert your finger into the center of the ball and stretch it out. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining balls.
- Preheat oven to 450ºF. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.
- Add 2 tsp baking soda to the boiling water and once the foaming subsides gently add a bagel. Boil 30 seconds each side and gently remove to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining bagels.
- In a small bowl, make the egg wash by whisking the egg and water together. Brush the bagels with the egg wash.
- Sprinkle each bagel with dehydrated minced garlic and cheddar cheese.
- Bake 20-24 minutes, or until golden brown and they sound hollow when thumped on the bottoms. Cool 15-20 minutes before cutting.
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Notes
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is not guaranteed to be accurate.
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Hi! I’m Heather
I’m Heather, a recipe developer and content creator based in Vancouver, Washington. I started Farmgirl Gourmet in 2006 because I believed weeknight dinners shouldn’t be boring and gourmet shouldn’t mean complicated. I’m also the co-founder of Spiceology, so safe to say I think about food for a living. Stick around for recipes that actually make it into your regular rotation.
I’m addicted! I cannot stop making these simple bagels.