Pretzel Bagels

5 from 1 vote

Pretzel Bagels

Make a batch of these chewy pretzel bagels at home with just 15 minutes of hands-on prep time and a few staple ingredients. No lye required!

Prep Time15

Cook Time17

Resting Time1

Total Time1 32

Course: Bread

Cuisine: German

Servings: bagels

Calories: 246kcal

Author: Caro Jensen

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

US Customary - Metric

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

Note 1: Be careful when adding the baking soda to the boiling water as it will initially bubble up. Add 1 tablespoon at a time.

Note 2: Pretzel bagels are best enjoyed warm and I recommend eating them within a day as they easily get stale.

Storage: Once fully cooled, store the bagels in a bread bin, airtight container, or plastic bag for upt to 3 days. Simply reheat the in the oven or microwave briefly. You can freeze them in a freezer-proof container unbaked after the baking soda bath or baked for up to 3 months. I love freezing them to have fresh bagels on demand!

Nutrition