These easy bagels might be my new favourite thing

I think food might be my love language. I love eating food, sharing food with others and having food made for me. Before the pandemic, I was the last person you’d find cooking in the kitchen for fun. In our house, J has always been the cook while I’ve been happy to clean up after the meal, and viewed that as my contribution to dinner.

But when lockdown was instated in London, I suddenly found myself seeking comfort in the kitchen (like everyone else in the world). While J went the more quarantine-stereotypical route of making a sourdough starter and bread, I found myself flipping the pages of some of our favourite cookbooks and recreating meals… and actually enjoying it.

I would say my most successful culinary discovery of this year is my indulgently easy homemade ramen (which J still requests weekly). If I had to choose a second favourite? These easy four ingredient bagels tick all of the boxes. Deliciously gooey in the middle with a crisp outer layer, I make these bagels three times a week (I prefer them fresh from the oven but they do reheat nicely in the toaster).

The first time I tried these bagels was when we visited home last year, and my sister would make them fresh for us in the morning. The perfect first-thing-in-the-morning comfort food, I couldn’t get enough of the delicious baked goods – and that says a lot as someone who doesn’t eat breakfast until at least 11 a.m.

Whether you’re making a breakfast sandwich or opting for a more classic option (like J’s cream cheese with heather honey drizzled over), these bagels have all the satisfying layers of the favourite morning treat. While they may not be quite the same as a NYC boiled bagel or the Brick Lane version, these easy bagels take 35 minutes to make (baking time included!), are high protein thanks to greek yogurt and taste absolutely delicious fresh from the oven or heated up in the toaster the next morning.

In fact, we like the taste of this dough so much, that we’ve even repurposed it into pizza base – and it has the same great crisp crust with a soft centre. While I’m certainly not the first to discover these easy, at-home bagels (just Google search easy bagels – they’re everywhere!), I wanted to share the wealth and shout about them from my small space on the internet.

Easy at-home bagels

Serves 4

1 cup plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp table salt
1 cup greek yogurt
1 egg (for an egg wash)
Preferred topping (ie. grated cheddar cheese, pickled jalapeños, sesame seeds, sea salt flakes, garlic or onion granules, etc.)

Preheat your oven to 170 C (375 F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (I usually spray this parchment paper with an olive oil spray).
Add flour, baking powder and salt to a large bowl and whisk to combine.
Make a small well in the flour mixture and add greek yogurt. Using a sturdy spatula, mix ingredients until they are combined into a shaggy dough (they may seem too dry but this is normal!).
Move dough to a floured surface and knead until dough becomes smooth. You’ll notice as you knead, it may become wet, be liberal with adding flour to reduce stickiness.
Once dough is smooth, cut into four equal portions and roll into ropes, twisting to form a circle and attaching ends. Place on baking sheet and paint with egg wash then top with your bagel toppings of choice (J and I love sprinkling flaked Cornish sea salt over each, but topped with a strong cheddar cheese is a firm second favourite for us).
Pop in the oven for 20-25 minutes, let cool and enjoy! (as a sandwich, with cream cheese or on its own, fresh from the oven).

I think my next alternative-use attempt for this dough will be flatbreads to accompany a warming curry. Have you made these bagels before?