These simple-to-make-at-home spicy chipotle bagels are amazing. This recipe is just spicy enough to make your mouth tingle, but mild enough to be quickly calmed with a cool glass of water or tempered with a smearing of cool cream cheese.

I’m currently daydreaming of loading one up with cream cheese, tomato slices, fresh basil and onion… and I can feel the hearts in my eyes! Anyway, I’m guessing the reason you’re here is to see how to make them – So I’ll oblige. Scroll down for the recipe and the step-by-step breakdown on how to make them!

How to make bagels from scratch

Making bagels from scratch might seem intimidating, but honestly, it’s pretty simple. If you can follow a recipe, you can make your own bagels!

The process involves these basic steps:

Make a homemade, stiff dough.
Allow the dough to rise until doubled
Shape into bagels
Allow to rise a second time
Briefly boil in water
Bake in a hot oven

That’s it! For all of the details on HOW to do each of those steps, scroll down. I’ve got a detailed recipe and instructions below!

Step-by-step photos

While I don’t have all of the steps photographed for this specific recipe, you can check out my Montreal Style Bagel recipe for more detailed images for each step of the process.

Other great bagel recipes:

To make this recipe, you will need:

Spicy Chipotle Bagels

A relatively quick, spicy home-made bagel recipe. Perfect to for toasting, or for making sandwiches.

Course Breakfast, Main Course, Side Dish, 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
2 tsp chipotle spice or any kind of hot pepper spice as I have used for this tutorial
1 tsp dry minced garlic or 2 cloves fresh garlic minced and saluted in a bit of oil
1 egg beaten
5 cups all-purpose or bread flour

Poaching Syrup:

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

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.
Add the oil, honey, molasses, salt, chipotle spice, garlic, and beaten egg; stir to combine. Stir in the flour, 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, 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 keep the bagel holes a little smaller, so I usually roll them with 3 fingers in the hole instead of my whole hand.
Bring the poaching syrup back to a boil, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, 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.)
Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

Recipe Notes

1 cup flour = 140 grams in this recipe.

How to Make Spicy Chipotle Bagels

Here’s the directions for how to make these bagels, step-by-step!

Make the dough

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.

Add the oil, honey, molasses, salt, chipotle spice, garlic, and beaten egg; stir to combine. Stir in the flour, 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, 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.

Prep the poaching syrup

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.

Shape

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 keep the bagel holes a little smaller, so I usually roll them with 3 fingers in the hole instead of my whole hand.

Poach the bagels

Bring the poaching syrup back to a boil, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, 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.

Bake

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.)

Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

If you like this recipe, you may also like:

Back soon!

–Naomi

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Simple and Delicious Spicy Chipotle Bagels [Recipe]

How to make bagels from scratch

Step-by-step photos

Other great bagel recipes:

To make this recipe, you will need: