Ingredients
4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp honey or sugar
1 1/2 tsp yeast
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins
Instructions
In a small bowl combine the honey, yeast and 1.25 cups warm water. Stir to dissolve and let sit for five minutes or until the surface is covered with foam.
In a large bowl combine 2 cups of the flour and the salt. Stir to combine. Add the frothy yeast water and stir well until everything is evenly mixed. Continue adding flour 1/2 cup at a time until it is too hard to stir by hand (about one cup later). Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface and continue adding flour a little bit at a time and knead in until you have reached 3.5 to 4 cups total (depending on the humidity). You can stop adding flour when it becomes fairly stiff but still pliable enough to knead. Knead the dough for 8 minutes total.
After kneading, flatten the dough slightly and add the cinnamon and raisins down the center. Fold the dough over and knead a few more times until the raisins are even throughout the dough and the cinnamon has given the dough a swirly appearance. The raisins and cinnamon may “break out” of the dough while you knead it in but just keep going and let the dough pick it back up as you knead.
Form the dough into a ball, loosely cover and let it rise until double (about 45 min.). Punch the down down, form it into a log and cut it into 10 pieces (for medium bagels). Form each piece into a ball by pulling the dough back and under itself. When you have a smooth ball, pinch it in the center to make the hole then carefully stretch the hole until it is a couple inches across. Make the hole about 3x larger than you think it should be because the dough will puff up quite a bit during cooking and close the hole off. Form the rest of the bagels in the same manner.
Place the formed bagels on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and cornmeal or non-stick spray. Let rise until double in size (about 45 minutes). Preheat your broiler near the end of the rise time.
Put a large pot of water on to boil. While you wait for it to boil, place the tray of bagels under the broiler for one minute. Pull the bagels out, carefully turn them over then place them back in to broil on the second side. Every oven is different so watch the bagels closely. You do not want them to brown just turn slightly dull on the surface.
Once the bagels have broiled on both sides, turn the oven to 375 to preheat. When the water has come to a full, rolling boil, drop the bagels in a few at a time. Boil the bagels for one minute, flip them over and boil for another minute on the opposite side. I found that a long chopstick works well for flipping them in the boiling water.
As the bagels come out of the water, let them drain on a wire cooling rack so the bottoms don’t get soggy. After draining for about 5 minutes, place them on a baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes or until the surface is golden brown.
Key Points About Ingredients:
- Bread flour can be substituted for all-purpose flour to boost gluten development and yield an even chewier, more authentic bagel texture.
- Raisins add natural sweetness and a chewy burst of flavor — plumping them in warm water for 10 minutes before adding to the dough prevents them from drawing moisture out of the bagel.
- Cinnamon is not just a flavor enhancer here — it also has antioxidant properties and gives the dough its beautiful swirly appearance when kneaded in.
- Using honey instead of sugar feeds the yeast more gently and adds a subtle floral sweetness that complements the cinnamon and raisins perfectly.
- The brief broiling step before boiling is a clever technique that helps the bagels hold their shape and develop a slightly firmer skin before hitting the water.
Key Nutritional Insights:
- Each bagel provides a solid source of complex carbohydrates, making it a good sustained-energy option for breakfast or a morning snack.
- Raisins contribute natural sugars, fiber, and small amounts of iron and potassium, boosting the nutritional profile beyond a plain bagel.
- These bagels are naturally low in fat and contain zero cholesterol, making them a heart-friendly bread choice when topped with light spreads.
- With nearly 7 grams of protein per serving from the flour and yeast, these bagels help support muscle maintenance as part of a balanced breakfast.
- The cinnamon in this recipe contains cinnamaldehyde, a bioactive compound studied for its potential to support healthy blood sugar metabolism.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size1
- Amount per serving
- Calories230
- Standard DV% Daily Value*
- Total Fat1 g72 g1.39%
- Saturated Fat0.2 g20 g1%
- Trans Fat0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat0.4 g
- Monounsaturated Fat0.1 g
- Cholesterol0 mg300 mg0%
- Sodium355 mg2300 mg15.43%
- Total Carbohydrate49 g275 g17.82%
- Dietary Fiber2 g28 g7.14%
- Total Sugars8 g
- Added Sugars1 g50 g2%
- Sugar Alcohal0 g
- Protein7 g50 g14%
- Vitamin D (Cholecalciferol)0 mcg20 mcg0%
- Calcium18 mg1300 mg1.38%
- Iron2.8 mg18 mg15.56%
- Potassium180 mg4700 mg3.83%
- Vitamin A2 mcg900 mcg0.22%
- Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)0.5 mg90 mg0.56%
- Vitamin E (Tocopherol)0.2 mg15 mg1.33%
- Vitamin K1 mcg120 mcg0.83%
- Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)0.3 mg1.2 mg25%
- Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)0.2 mg1.3 mg15.38%
- Vitamin B3 (Niacin)2.8 mg16 mg17.5%
- Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)0.06 mg1.7 mg3.53%
- Folate90 mcg400 mcg22.5%
- Vitamin B12 (Cobalamine)0 mcg2.4 mcg0%
- Biotin2 mcg30 mcg6.67%
- Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)0.4 mg5 mg8%
- Choline8 mg550 mg1.45%
- Phosphorus75 mg1250 mg6%
- Iodine2 mcg150 mcg1.33%
- Magnesium18 mg420 mg4.29%
- Zinc0.7 mg11 mg6.36%
- Selenium18 mcg55 mcg32.73%
- Copper0.12 mg0.9 mg13.33%
- Manganese0.8 mg2.3 mg34.78%
- Chromium4 mcg35 mcg11.43%
- Molybdenum28 mcg45 mcg62.22%
- Chloride45 mg2300 mg1.96%
