Chewy Pretzel Bagels
Homemade chewy pretzel bagels combine the best of German pretzels and American bagels. A soft and chewy crumb, wrapped in a beautiful dark golden crust. With just 15 minutes of hands-on prep time and a few staple ingredients, you can make a batch of these breakfast bagels at home. No lye required!
Both, German pretzels and American bagels have a soft chewy texture. Combining the two creates a delicious soft bagel with a beautiful dark golden color. The perfect match in my opinion!
Plus, you’ll only need 15 minutes of hands-on prep time and 6 staple ingredients to make these pretzel bagels.
Just like my soft German pretzels and pretzel hot dog buns, this recipe uses a baking soda bath instead of lye to create the signature pretzel coloring. Perfectly safe to make with your kids!
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Pretzel Bagels
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups water lukewarm
- 7 g instant yeast
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp salt
Water Bath
- 4 cups water
- 3 tbsp baking soda
Topping
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Using a stand mixer or a large spoon, combine all ingredients, and knead the dough until you have a homogenous dough ball (3-5 minutes).1 1/4 cups water, 7 g instant yeast, 4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tsp salt, 2 tsp granulated sugar
- Place the dough into a large clean bowl and cover it with a damp tea towel, plate, or plastic wrap. Let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. It will significantly increase in size.
- Preheat the oven to 400F (200C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Form 8 bagels and add them to 1 large or 2 smaller baking tray(s) and rest them for another 30 minutes.
- To make the baking soda water, bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Add the baking soda one tablespoon at a time (Note 1) and bring it to a boil again. Reduce to a simmer and add the bagels with a ladle one by one. Boil them in the baking soda water for 30 seconds each, turning them halfway. They will float at the top. Transfer them back to a lined baking tray.3 tbsp baking soda, 4 cups water
- Add your topping of choice. I like to add sesame seeds.2 tbsp sesame seeds
- Bake the pretzel bagels for 17 minutes until they've reached the dark brown pretzel color. Remove them from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack if you have one. Serve with a generous lashing of butter or your preferred bagel filling (Note 2).
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredients and substitutions
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Yeast – Instant yeast gets the rise done the fastest but active dry yeast or fresh yeast can also be used.
- Flour – All-purpose or plain flour works well but you can also use strong bread flour for even fluffier bagels or white spelt flour for a softer crumb.
- Sugar – Bagels are slightly sweet and the sugar helps the yeast rise but also gives these bagels some sweetness.
- Baking soda – The baking soda bath creates the signature pretzel coloring while the boiling water adds a chewy texture.
- Sesame seeds – I like adding sesame seeds to my pretzel bagels but you can use any bagel topping you fancy including poppy seeds, coarse salt, or poppy seeds.
Variations
- Onion and garlic pretzel bagels: Add fried onion and garlic pieces to the dough or powders for a savory twist.
- Cheese pretzel bagels: Add some shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese as a topping before baking the bagels.
- Everything pretzel bagels: Simply swap the sesame seeds with a generous sprinkling of everything bagel seasoning.
How to make pretzel bagels
See the recipe card for full information on the steps.
Combine all ingredients into a shaggy dough and knead it for 5 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. It will be a bit sticky!
Rest the dough for 30-45 minutes or until it has almost doubled in size.
Shape 8 pretzel buns and pierce a hole into the middle with your fingers. Let them rest for another 30 minutes before giving them a 30-second baking soda bath, turning them halfway.
Add the bagels to a lined baking tray and your toppings of choice. Bake for 17 minutes at 400F (200C) or until golden brown.
Serving
Serve homemade pretzel bagels with a classic cream cheese or a bacon and egg filling.
Alternatively, try these German-inspired fillings:
- Obatzda: Bavarian cheese spread made with soft cheeses, butter, onions, and spices.
- Cold cuts of meat: Salami, ham, or roast beef with mustard, and sauerkraut.
- Leberkäse: Meatloaf-like dish made with ground pork, beef, and veal, often served cold with mustard.
Pretzel dough makes perfect bagels. Yum!