Artificial Food Coloring Free Classic Bagels

Total time2 hr 20 min

Prep time40 min

Cook time25 min

Artificial Food Coloring Free Classic Bagels

Chewy, golden, and deeply satisfying, these homemade bagels are the real deal — the kind you'd find at a proper bakery, made entirely from scratch in your own kitchen. Store-bought bagels and packaged seasonings can be surprisingly tricky territory, since artificial dyes sometimes sneak into toppings, coatings, and even the "plain" varieties. Here, every single ingredient is straightforward and clean: flour, yeast, salt, water, and a few pantry staples that you can easily vet yourself. The boiling step — with barley malt syrup and a touch of baking soda — is what gives these their signature shiny crust and dense, chewy interior that no toaster-aisle bag can replicate. If you go with toppings, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or a homemade everything blend keep things simple and free of any questionable additives. The egg white wash adds that gorgeous bakery-style sheen without a drop of anything artificial. Once you pull these off the wire rack and slice into one, it's genuinely hard to go back to the packaged version.

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Ingredients

8 servings

For the dough

1 ½ tsp active dry yeast
Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast Original Signature SELECT Active Dry Yeast - 3-0.25 Oz Food Club Active Dry Yeast, Gluten Free Kroger Active Dry Yeast Fleischmann's - ACTIVE DRY YEAST 3PK
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1 ½ tsp granulated sugar
1 ¼ cups warm water (105–110°f / 40–43°c)
4 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
1 ½ tsp fine salt

For the boiling water

2 tbsp barley malt syrup
1 tbsp baking soda
1 tbsp granulated sugar

For topping

1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 tbsp sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or everything bagel seasoning (optional)

Instructions

1
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm water, yeast, and 1 1/2 tsp sugar. Stir briefly and let stand for 5–8 minutes, until foamy and fragrant.
2
Add the bread flour and salt to the yeast mixture. Mix on low speed with the dough hook for 2 minutes to bring the dough together, then increase to medium speed and knead for 8–10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, stiff, and pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl. The dough should feel firm and not tacky — stiffer than a typical bread dough.

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