Seed Oil Free Classic Bagels
Most bagels you grab at a bakery or deli are brushed with or baked alongside oils you'd rather avoid, and store-bought versions often sneak in canola or soybean oil somewhere in the ingredient list. This recipe keeps things beautifully clean — just flour, yeast, sugar, salt, water, and a few boiling-bath additions that give you that signature chewy crust without a drop of industrial oil in sight. The real magic here is the boiling step: a pot of water spiked with barley malt syrup, baking soda, and sugar creates that glossy, slightly sweet exterior before the bagels ever hit the oven. A brush of egg white locks in your toppings and adds a satisfying sheen, all without relying on any seed-based fats. The dough itself is intentionally stiff and dense, which is exactly what produces that tight, chewy crumb that makes a bagel feel like a proper bagel. Whether you go plain, sesame, poppy, or everything, these come out of the oven deeply golden and genuinely impressive. Once you've made them at home, the ingredient labels on packaged bagels are going to start looking a lot less appealing.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
For the dough
- 1 ½ tsp active dry yeast
- 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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