Alright my friends, it’s time to make a new kind of bagel: Asiago cheese bagels, finished with cracked black pepper. I have always been a huge fan of the asiago bagels at Panera Bread, so it only seemed right, in my pursuit of bagel excellence, to learn how to make my own. That is the recipe I want to share with you today! These are easily one of my favorite bagels, and I hope that you will enjoy them as much as I do.

A new kind of bagel

In recent weeks, I’ve shared my recipes for Montreal Style Bagels and then Everything Bagels with you- both simple, easy-to-make-at-home, delicious bagel recipes. This variation is essentially the same base as those two (so again, very simple and quick to make), only… These are topped with a generous portion of asiago cheese and sprinkled with black pepper. Sounds delicious, right? It does – because it is!

How asiago cheese bagels are made

I’ve outlined the general process of making homemade bagels for you below. The main thing that makes these bagels unique, however is that the bagels are covered in freshly grated asiago cheese right before they are baked. To see this process in real time, step-by-step, scroll down past the recipe to check out my step-by-step pictures!

Make and proof the dough

Like other bagels, I usually start by making a very stiff bagel dough, either yeast or sourdough based. You can use all purpose flour or bread flour for this recipe, and I recommend using a kitchen scale to get the flour quantity right. The dough typically contains either honey or syrup to make the dough slightly sweet and chewy. If you can make the dough in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, this process is extremely fast and easy! If not, you can make it in a large bowl by hand, which takes a little more elbow grease – but it’s well worth the effort! Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a clean towel to rise for about an hour.

Shape the bagels

Once the dough has finished its first rise in a warm place, the bagels can be shaped. The dough gets divided into equal pieces to be shaped into bagels. I like to roll each dough ball into a long rope on a clean work surface, and pinch the ends together (rather than making a hole in the centre of a circle of dough), just because I find that I like the shape better that way than making a hole in the center of the ball of dough.

Proof the dough a second time

From there, the bagels will proof a second time at room temperature. I always keep this part very short, since the bagels will need to be boiled before they are baked. The bagels will rise to double their original size during the boiling process as well, so it’s important not to let the dough rise too long before that step.

Poach the bagels in boiling water

Once those things are done, I poach the bagels in boiling water bath or “poaching syrup,” to give them their signature texture, soft crust, and glossy sheen once they are baked. You can poach 3-4 bagels at a time in a large pot of water.

Top with asiago cheese and cracked black pepper

Right before they go into the oven, I sprinkle the bagels generously with freshly grated chunks of asiago cheese and cracked black pepper. Be generous with the cheese to get the ultimate cheesy bagels!

Bake the bagels

Finally, it is time to bake! I bake mine in a regular oven for about 20-25 minutes, depending on the heat of the oven. The bagels are done when they are golden brown and the melted cheese is bubbly looking on top.

Why is this asiago bagel recipe boiled?

Did you know that all bagels are boiled? That’s part of what makes them bagels!

Bagels are boiled in simmering water or “Poaching syrup” because that is what gives them their signature chewy texture, soft crust, and beautiful glossy sheen. You *could* make bagels without boiling them… but they sure wouldn’t taste like bagels! Traditional bagel recipes all call for the boiling process to take place in order that you get the best chewy bagels from the recipe.

Boiling bagels: What goes in the water?

I think the answer to this question depends on what kind of bagels you are making. For most recipes, barley malt syrup or malt powder is added to the water before boiling. You can also use any of the following in your water, however, and find that your bagels still turn out beautifully (although with a sightly different taste to the crust):

Salt
Baking soda
Molasses
Honey
Nothing! Yup, that’s right. Bagels can be boiled with absolutely nothing in the water – they just won’t have that little bit of extra flavour.

For this recipe, I recommend using salt, honey or baking soda for the water.

How long does it take to make asiago cheese bagels?

To make this recipe, it only takes me 2 hours from start to finish! The first hour is all rising time, so you can plan to do other things during that period. You will be busy during the second hour, however, so definitely make room in your day to give this project your attention during that time.

Ingredient substitutes

Below are a list of a few ingredient substitutes you can use in this bagel recipe.

Barley malt syrup: This recipe uses a mixture of honey and molasses in place of barley malt syrup, which is a typical bagel ingredient.
Egg: If you don’t have an egg or prefer not to use it, you can substitute 1 egg for 1/4 cup of water.
Flour: You can add up to 25% of another grain flour, such as whole wheat or rye. Do not substitute any of the four in this recipe for gluten free flour.
Oil: I like to use olive oil to make my bagels, but you can use any type of oil or fat (such as vegetable oil, butter, or lard).

To make these bagels, you will need:

Asiago Black Pepper Bagels

A simple, delicious homemade bagel recipe featuring asiago cheese and black pepper. My favourite bagel recipe to date!

Course Breakfast, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine Canadian

Servings 12

Author Naomi

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups lukewarm water
1/2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp dry active yeast
2 Tbsp oil olive oil or vegetable oil
2 Tbsp liquid honey
1-1/2 tsp molasses fancy/table molasses or blackstrap – table molasses is my preference
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground or cracked black pepper
1 egg beaten
2 cloves garlic minced
5 cups all purpose or bread flour
2 cups shredded asiago cheese (for the topping)
Extra cracked black pepper (for the topping)

Poaching Syrup

1 gallon water (1 gallon = 16 cups)
1/2 cup liquid honey

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine the lukewarm water with sugar and yeast, and stir to dissolve (there may be small clumps that don’t blend in very well – this is okay). Allow this mixture to rest about 10 minutes, or until slightly risen and bubbly.
Combine the minced garlic in a small saucepan and sauté in a bit of oil until fragrant and just beginning to brown. Set aside to cool.
Add the oil, honey, molasses, salt, black pepper and beaten egg to the water and yeast mixture; stir to combine. Stir in the sautéd garlic, and add the flour, stirring to combine, and knead on a lightly floured work surface until smooth and elastic, about 3-5 minutes. Place the dough back into the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise 1 hour or until doubled.
Note: To test if the dough is risen enough, stick your finger into the dough – if an indentation remains without shrinking back where your finger was, it is ready to use.
While the dough is rising, combine the water and honey for the poaching syrup in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, just to keep it hot, until ready to use.
When the dough has risen enough, punch it down to remove any air bubbles. Turn it out onto a clean work surface. Divide the dough into 12 evenly divided portions (each should weigh about 100 grams).
Roll each portion of dough into a long rope, about 12 inches long. Bring the ends together with about a 1-inch overlap, pinching the ends together firmly to seal. Roll over the pinched portion of dough a couple of times, with your hand in the hole of the bagel, to make the seam a little smoother and more uniform. Set the finished bagel onto a parchment lined baking sheet, and repeat with the other bagels until all 12 have been shaped. The holes in the centre of the just-shaped bagels should be large enough to fit a golf ball inside snugly.
Note: If the dough is sticky, you can use a little flour on the work surface to prevent sticking. Also, I like to make my bagel holes a little smaller, so I usually roll them with 3 fingers in the hole – Using your whole hand makes the hole a little larger.
Bring the poaching syrup back to a boil, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, and allow the bagels to rest 10-20 minutes, or until about 1-1/2 times their original size. They won’t look very much larger – just slightly more puffy.
Drop 3-5 bagels into the boiling poaching syrup (depending on the size of your pot – you want them to have room to expand without overlapping each other), and allow them to poach 1 minute on each side, but not longer. If anything, take the bagels out slightly before they reach the 1 minute mark per side. Lift the bagels out of the water using a slotted spoon or fork, allowing them to drip slightly before setting them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. The bagels should double in size during this step.
Allow the bagels to cool slightly, and then re-attach the ends of any bagels that broke open during the poaching process. (The dough should be a sticky, spongy texture at this step.) Sprinkle generously with asiago cheese, and then top with some cracked black pepper.
Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown and sizzling. Cool on wire racks.

Recipe Notes

1 cup flour = 140 grams in this recipe.

Make & proof the dough:

Shape the bagels:

Proof and boil the bagels:

Top the bagels with asiago cheese:

*As you can see from this picture, the cheese doesn’t stick when you just dip the bagel into it. So, in my opinion, it’s better to just sprinkle it on by hand.

Scatter the bagels with cracked black pepper:

Bake the bagels:

Your mouth watering yet? I’m pretty sure that one of these, smothered in cream cheese, is one of the most magical things ever.

More delicious bagel recipes:

Now, numerous bagel-sampling friends and family have told me that these are the best bagels I’ve made yet. I might have to agree with them, but honestly, I’d really be very curious to know your opinion. So, if you make this recipe, please leave a comment or tag me in a photo of your creations on Facebook or Instagram– I’d love to know what you think!

Thanks for stopping in! Back soon.

–Naomi

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Asiago Cheese Bagels with Black Pepper [Recipe]