If you've never tried to make homemade bagels, you're missing out. And it's really not as hard as you might think. Keep ready for the step by step.

A freshly made bagel is a very good thing, but if you don't have an authentic Montreal-style bagel shop nearby, they can be tough to find. The dense, chewy texture of a real bagel comes from boiling the dough before baking it. It's really not as difficult as you think to make homemade bagels in your own kitchen, and you can flavour these any way you like by stirring in grated cheese, caramelized onions, fresh garlic, cinnamon and raisins and more.

Ingredients for Homemade Bagels

1 tbsp active dry yeast
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp canola or olive oil
4-5 cups all-purpose flour, or half all-purpose and half whole wheat
2 tsp salt
Sesame, poppy or caraway seed to sprinkle on top (optional)

Directions for Homemade Bagels

  1. In a large bowl, stir yeast and brown sugar into 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water until it dissolves; let it stand for 5 min until it gets foamy. (TIP: If it doesn’t foam up, the yeast is probably expired—toss it and get some fresh yeast!)
  2. Stir oil and a cup of flour into the yeast mixture, then add the salt and enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough—about 2 1/2 cups. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, gently incorporating more flour, until the dough is smooth and elastic. It should take about 10 min. Cover with a tea towel and let it rest for about 15 min.
  3. Divide the dough into 10 pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and then shape it into a circle, pinching the ends together to form the bagel shape. Let them rise for about 20 min while you boil a big pot (about 6L) of salted water and preheat the oven to 425°F.
  4. When the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and gently place a few bagels at a time into the water. Simmer for 1 min, then flip them over and cook for another 30 sec. Remove them with a slotted spoon and place on a wire rack to drain.
  5. Once they have all been boiled, place them on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick spray and sprinkle with sesame seeds or whatever toppings you like. Bake for 20 min, until golden.

Makes 10 bagels.

Flavour Variations for Homemade Bagels

Cinnamon-Raisin Bagels: Add 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/2-1 cup raisins along with the second batch of flour. Mix and bake as directed.

Onion and Garlic Bagels: Sauté 1 minced onion and a few cloves of crushed garlic in 1 tsp oil until tender and golden. Cool and stir into the dough along with the second batch of flour. Mix and bake as directed.

Cheese Bagels: Add 1 tsp garlic powder and 1 cup grated old cheddar or 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese along with the second batch of flour. Sprinkle tops with a little extra grated cheese.