Welcome to the prettiest bagels I’ve ever made. And, depending on the type of cheese you use, possibly the smelliest. But trust me… It’s totally worth it, if you’re using the right stuff.

These bagels are made by first sautéing fresh garlic with fragrant sage leaves in butter (which smells AMAZING, by the way) and then sprinkling some freshly grated quality parmesan cheese on top. You don’t need a lot of cheese, just enough to give the bagels that fantastic textured look and the delicious taste of parmesan when they are baked.

As usual in all of my bagel recipes, it’s important to note that 1 cup of flour in this recipe is equal to 140 grams. I never really would have thought that would matter so much, but it really does – I’ve made some horribly stiff bagel dough without weighing the flour.

If you don’t have a kitchen scale, try making this recipe with 4 cups of flour at first, and then add more as you need it to make a stiff, smooth, soft dough.

Oh also – If you haven’t made my bagels before, don’t worry about them taking days to complete… these bagels can be fresh from the oven just 2 hours after you mix up the dough. Not bad, eh?

Scroll down for the recipe!

Note: If you want to see what this process looks like step-by-step, check out This Tutorial for Asiago Cheese Bagels!

Parmesan Sage Bagels

Made with fresh garlic and sage, these bagels are rich with savoury flavour. Delicious served with butter, cream cheese, or served with your favourite toppings as a sandwich.

Course Breakfast, Snack

Servings 12 bagels

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 egg beaten
2 cloves garlic minced
1 handful fresh sage leaves torn slightly
2 Tbsp butter
5 cups all purpose or bread flour
2 cups fresh good-quality parmesan cheese grated

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 fresh sage, and butter in a small saucepan and sauté until fragrant and just beginning to brown. Set aside to cool.
Add the oil, honey, molasses, salt, and beaten egg to the water and yeast mixture; stir to combine. Stir in the sautéd garlic mixture, and add the flour, stirring to combine. 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 1-2 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 gently 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 with parmesan cheese.
Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown and sizzling. Cool on wire racks.