Parmesan Bagels Recipe: Make Delicious Bagels at Home

The BEST and EASIEST homemade parmesan bagels recipe. Make delicious bagels at home that rival any from your favorite bagel shop!

This post contains affiliate links.In November I found myself and three kids at the Charlotte, NC airport at 6am, waiting for our connecting flight home. It had already been a long night since we started on the west coast and flew all night to the east coast, and it would still be another 4 hours until we were home. As we went from one gate to the other, we passed an Einstein Bros. Bagel shop. I decided to treat everyone to a toasted asiago bagel with lots of butter. Of all the things that we did on that trip, that little pit stop is the one they talk about most. That is how these parmesan bagels were born. (I buy parmesan on a regular basis, more often than asiago so this is why I made the switch in cheese preferences.)

We have an Einstein Bros. Bagels about 20 minutes from our house, but I am not in that area very often. When we find something that we want to eat—all the time—my mind starts working overtime to see if I can recreate it at home. (ie: Yum Yum Sauce  and Chick Fil A Nuggets from Damn Delicious—these are GOOD). So I went on a quest to learn how to recreate these delicious parmesan bagels for my kids on a regular basis and that is where this parmesan bagels recipe was born!

I’ve made bagels a few different times over the years with mixed results. After trying several recipes, I’ve decided that this basic bagel recipe is the best. The dough doesn’t have to double in size so they are fairly quick to make. It is also pretty easy to customize the recipe to make any flavor of bagel that you’d like. I’ve altered it quite a bit to create the bagel that you see here, and I promise the alterations are what makes it SO stinkin’ good. This recipe is a favorite of my boys and is on constant rotation for lunches over here.

You can use asiago or parmesan cheese, just make sure that it is freshly grated (buy a brick of parmesan and grate it yourself, not a container of grated parmesan cheese). Sprinkling a few with everything bagel seasoning from Trader Joe’s is always a good idea too. So yummy. Just sprinkle after applying the egg wash.

Parmesan Bagels Recipe: Make Delicious Bagels at Home

scroll down for a printable recipe

Make the Dough

You can make this by hand and knead it yourself, but I’d highly recommend using a stand mixer with a dough hook.

In a large bowl combine 1 1/4 c. flour, 1 1/2 c. warm water, 2T. active dry yeast, and 3T. sugar. Mix on low speed. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Mix on high speed for 2-3 minutes.

Add 1 T. salt and 3 more cups of flour.  Mix until a stiff dough is achieved. Use the dough hook (or knead by hand) 5-8 minutes.

Let Dough Rest

Cover and let rise for 15 minutes.

Shape Bagels

Now that the dough has had a chance to rest divide into 12 sections. Roll each section into a ball. Press thumb through the center of each ball and gently pull in all directions until a uniform ring has formed.

Place on a lightly floured surface, cover, and let rest for 20 minutes.

While the dough rests, grate parmesan cheese. You will need 1 1/2 c. of shredded cheese. You’ll also want to bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 T. sugar and stir until dissolved. Reduce heat to med-low.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Boil Bagels

Boil 5 bagels at a time for 2 minutes on each side. Transfer each bagel to a cooling rack to drain for 15-20 seconds then transfer to a baking sheet that has been lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Repeat until all 12 bagels have been boiled and are on the baking sheet.

Egg Wash and Bake

Brush each bagel with an egg wash (1 egg + 1 T water) then sprinkle liberally with cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes. Lay a piece of foil over the pan to prevent the cheese from burning. Bake another 10 minutes. Cool on pan.

These stay fresh for a couple of days and are absolutely delicious toasted with lots of butter. They also freeze really well. I usually make 48 at a time and store them in gallon ziplock bags in the freezer. Thaw the parmesan bagels in the microwave for about 8 seconds to make them easier to slice for toasting.

Ready to Make a Batch?

Homemade Parmesan Bagels Recipe

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Here is a collection of some of my favorite bread recipes from around the web!