Black Pepper Free Gluten Free Bagels
Chewy, golden, and genuinely satisfying, these gluten-free bagels deliver everything you love about the real thing — a glossy crust, a tender crumb, and that signature chew — without a trace of wheat or black pepper. For anyone navigating a black pepper sensitivity, store-bought bagels and "everything" blends can be a minefield, since pepper is practically a default seasoning in most commercial varieties. Here, the seasoning is entirely in your hands: the optional topping is sesame seeds or an everything blend you control, so you can keep things completely safe or customize to your taste. The dough comes together from a blend of white rice flour, tapioca starch, and potato starch, with xanthan gum doing the structural work that gluten normally handles. The real secret to that authentic bagel texture is the boiling bath — a quick dip in sugared water before baking gives each one that beautifully glossy, slightly firm exterior. After a hot oven and a patient cool-down on the rack, you end up with bagels that slice cleanly and hold up to any topping you pile on. Once you see how straightforward the process is, weekend bagel-making might just become a new ritual.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the dough
- 1 ½ cups white rice flour
- ¾ cup tapioca starch
- ¼ cup potato starch
- 2 tsp xanthan gum
- 2 ¼ tsp instant yeast (1 standard packet)
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 cup warm water (110°f / 43°c)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tbsp neutral oil (such as canola or avocado oil)
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
For the boiling bath
- 2 quarts water
- 1 tbsp sugar
For the egg wash
- 1 large egg, beaten
For serving
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds or everything bagel seasoning (optional)
Instructions
- 1
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the white rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, xanthan gum, instant yeast, salt, and sugar until evenly combined.
- 2
Add the warm water, eggs, neutral oil, and apple cider vinegar to the dry ingredients. Beat with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a hand mixer) on medium speed for 2–3 minutes, until the dough is smooth, thick, and slightly sticky — it will resemble a very stiff, cohesive batter rather than a traditional wheat dough.
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