Homemade Pumpkin Bagels Recipe for a Cozy Fall Morning

Homemade Pumpkin Bagels

Every autumn, pumpkin bagels show up in bakeries and coffee shops, and every year I think the same thing. I can make these at home, and so can you. Bagels have a reputation for being fussy.

People picture special equipment and a long, complicated day in the kitchen. The reality is much friendlier. If you can stir flour and water into a dough and then wait while it rises, you already have what it takes.

This recipe makes 8 chewy bagels with real pumpkin flavor, and it does not ask for a single piece of specialty gear. A large bowl, a saucepan, and a baking sheet are enough to carry you from mixing to the first warm bite.

The pumpkin puree keeps the inside soft and lightly sweet, and the quick boil before baking gives the crust that classic bagel chew.

Please do not save this recipe for October alone. Canned pumpkin puree sits on the shelf all year, and a toasted bagel with cream cheese tastes just as good in February as it does on a crisp fall morning. The first time I made a batch in the middle of winter, nobody at my table guessed the season.

If you enjoy baking with pumpkin, a pumpkin challah made without butter is a lovely next project once this dough starts to feel familiar.

Here is everything you need:

• 4 1/4 cups bread flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar, for the dough
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, for the boiling water
• Sesame seeds or your favorite bagel topping
• 1 egg, optional, for the egg wash

At a glance: prep takes about 12 minutes, baking takes about 20 minutes, and the dough needs roughly 2 hours of resting and rising. From the first stir to the first bite, plan on about 2 hours and 32 minutes.

If you are new to yeast dough, take a breath. This one is forgiving, and every stage below tells you exactly what to look for.

How to make bagels from scratch

Read through these steps once before you start, then work through them in order. The whole process is really just mixing, waiting, shaping, boiling, and baking.

1. Combine the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, or in the bowl of your stand mixer if you are using one, mix 4 1/4 cups bread flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice. Stir until everything is evenly blended.
2. Add the pumpkin and water, then knead. Pour in 1 cup pumpkin puree and 1 cup lukewarm water and knead until a dough forms. Keep going for another 5 minutes on medium low speed if you are using a stand mixer with the dough hook, or 10 minutes if you are kneading by hand. The finished dough should be stiff but smooth.
3. Let the dough rise. Move it to a clean, greased bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and leave it in a warm spot until it doubles in size. That takes 1 hour and a half to 2 hours.
4. Divide and shape. Turn the dough out, divide it into 8 pieces, and roll each piece into a tight ball. Starting with the first ball you shaped, push a finger through the center and stretch the hole open. Make it a little bigger than you want the finished bagel to be, because the hole shrinks during the second rest, the boil, and the bake. Set the shaped bagels on a lined baking sheet or a lightly floured surface.
5. Give them a second rest. Cover the shaped bagels with plastic wrap so they do not form a skin, and let them sit for 30 minutes, until they are almost twice their starting size. They should feel light when you pick one up.
6. Start the boiling water. In a saucepan or a Dutch oven, heat about 4 cups of water, or enough to comfortably boil your bagels, and stir in 1/4 cup brown sugar. The water must be boiling before any bagel goes in.
7. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
8. Make the egg wash if you want one. Beat 1 egg with a fork in a small bowl.
9. Boil the bagels. Lower them into the boiling water a few at a time and keep the pot uncrowded. Boil each bagel for 45 to 50 seconds, flip it with a spatula, and boil the second side the same amount. Do not go past 1 minute per side.
10. Add the topping. Set the boiled bagels on a paper towel. Brush on the egg wash first if you are using it, then sprinkle on sesame seeds or your favorite bagel topping.
11. Bake. Move the bagels to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 20 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the bottoms are slightly golden.
12. Cool before slicing. Let the bagels rest on the baking sheet for 15 minutes, then slice and serve.

Two small habits make this section easier. First, start the water and preheat the oven while the shaped bagels take their second rest, so nothing sits around waiting. Second, boil in small batches, two to four bagels at a time, and let the water come back to a full boil before the next batch goes in.

When you pull the first tray out, the tops should look glossy and deep golden, and the bottoms should be only lightly colored. If your oven runs hot, check the bagels at the 15 minute mark and pull them early rather than late.

Tips you need to follow

These are the details that separate a good batch from a frustrating one. None of them take extra time, and all of them are worth a quick check before you start.

• Check your yeast. Look at the expiration date, and if the package has been open for a while, make sure it was kept in the fridge. Once opened, yeast is best used within 6 months.
• Aim for the right dough texture. The dough should not be sticky, and it should not be dry and crumbly either. It should feel firm and smooth under your hands.
• Use the full cup of pumpkin. Cutting back on the puree weakens the pumpkin flavor, so keep the full 1 cup.
• Never over boil. Boiling longer than 1 minute per side can flatten the bagels and spoil the chew.
• Keep the dough covered. Plastic wrap works better than a damp towel here. A skin that forms on the dough can crack in the oven.
• Wait for a rolling boil. Add bagels only when the water is boiling hard, and give the pot time to return to a boil between batches.
• Make the holes bigger than you think. They shrink during the second rest, the boil, and the bake.

One extra trick I like: if you are unsure whether the dough has proofed enough, boil a single test bagel. If it floats within 15 seconds, the dough is ready. If it sinks, cover the dough again and give it a few more minutes in its warm spot.

I also keep a small bowl of extra flour within reach on the counter. If the dough starts to cling to my hands, a light dusting fixes it in seconds without changing the recipe.

Storing and keeping

Homemade bagels have no preservatives, so store them with a little care. Once they are completely cool, keep them in an airtight container away from heat and open air. They stay good for up to 5 days, which means a batch made on the weekend can carry you through most of the week.

For longer storage, freeze them. Cool the bagels fully, slip them into a freezer safe bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. My favorite habit is to slice the bagels in half before freezing. That way you can pull out a half and drop it straight into the toaster without waiting for anything to thaw.

Can I make this recipe without the pumpkin pie spice?

Yes, and it is an easy change. The pumpkin spice can be left out completely if you prefer a plainer bagel. Everything else in the recipe stays exactly the same, so the dough comes together the same way and bakes the same way. You still get the pumpkin flavor from the puree, just without the warm spice note on top.

Can I make these bagels using all purpose flour?

You can, with one honest warning. All purpose flour works, but the bagels come out softer and less chewy than the bread flour version. Bread flour has more protein, which is what gives bagels their satisfying bite.

If you do use all purpose flour and the dough turns out too sticky to handle, work in an extra 1/4 cup of flour and knead it in until the dough feels smooth again.

For a whole wheat batch, swap half of the bread flour for whole wheat flour. You keep some of the chew while adding a nuttier flavor that pairs nicely with the pumpkin.

What to eat with Pumpkin Bagels

A warm pumpkin bagel is a great starting point for a fall breakfast sandwich. Spread on cream cheese, add a few sprigs of dill, and layer in smoked salmon. The gentle sweetness of the pumpkin plays nicely against the salty fish.

Simple is just as good. Toast a half and spread it with butter, or reach for jam, with blackberry being my favorite match. If you are serving a crowd, set out cream cheese, butter, and a couple of jams and let everyone build their own.

For reference, the source nutrition for this recipe comes to about 392 calories per serving, with 75 grams of carbohydrates, 13 grams of protein, 4 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 4 grams of fiber, 13 grams of sugar, 372 milligrams of sodium, and 47 milligrams of cholesterol.

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Homemade Pumpkin Bagels

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Homemade Pumpkin Bagels Every autumn, pumpkin bagels show up in bakeries and coffee shops, and every year I think the same thing. I can make these at home, and so can you.

• Total Time: 152 min
• Yield: 8 bagels 1x

Ingredients

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Main
4 ¼ cups bread flour
1 ½ teaspoon instant yeast
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup water, lukewarm
¼ cup brown sugar
Sesame seeds or your favorite bagel topping
1 egg, for the egg wash

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Instructions

Main
1-In a large bowl, or the bowl: In a large bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer if you’re using one, mix bread flour, instant yeast, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, salt and pumpkin spice. Stir to combine.
2-Add pumpkin puree and water and knead: Add pumpkin puree and water and knead until the dough is formed. After that, knead for more 5 minutes on medium-low speed if using a stand mixer (use the dough hook for that), or 10 minutes if doing by hand. The final dough should be stiff but smooth.
3-Transfer your dough to a clean and: Transfer your dough to a clean and greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest until it doubles in size, 1 hour and a half to 2 hours. Leave it resting in a warm spot to accelerate the process.
4-After it has doubles, divide the dough: After it has doubles, divide the dough into 8 pieces and shape each one into a tight ball. Starting with the first ball you shaped, using your finger, make a hole in the center of the dough and stretch it out. Do it a little bigger than you want your final bagel to be, as it will shrink during the second rest and boiling/baking process. Place your shaped bagel into a lined baking sheet, or over a lightly floured surface.
5-Cover your shaped bagels with plastic wrap: Cover your shaped bagels with plastic wrap so it won’t develop a skin, and let them rest for another 30 minutes, or until almost twice its starting size. The bagel should feel light when ready.
6-Using a saucepan or your dutch oven,: Using a saucepan or your dutch oven, heat about 4 cups or enough water for you to boil your bagels, and mix ¼ cup of brown sugar. Make sure the water is boiling before adding your bagels.
7-Preheat your oven to 450°F: Preheat your oven to 450°F.
8-With a fork, on a small bowl,: With a fork, on a small bowl, beat one egg for the egg wash if you opt to use it.
9-Boil each bagel from 45 to 50: Boil each bagel from 45 to 50 seconds, then flip them over with the help of a spatula and repeat boiling on the other side. Avoid boiling for longer than 1 minute on each side.
10-Place your boiled bagels over a paper: Place your boiled bagels over a paper towel and cover with sesame seeds or your topping of choice. Brush it with the egg wash before adding the top if you choose to use it.
11-Transfer your bagels to a baking sheet: Transfer your bagels to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake them on 450°F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown on top and slightly golden on the bottom.
12-Let them cool for 15 minutes before: Let them cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

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• Prep Time: 12 min
• Cook Time: 20 min
• Method: bake

Nutrition

• Calories: 392
• Sugar: 13g
• Sodium: 372mg
• Fat: 4g
• Saturated Fat: 1g
• Carbohydrates: 75g
• Fiber: 4g
• Protein: 13g
• Cholesterol: 47mg