This easy Bagels with extra Virgin Olive Oil recipe is my first ever bagel recipe to create. But I must admit that I’m now eager to create another one! Was the process easy? No, but I was up for the challenge anyway. And the bagels turned out to be a success, thank God.
Since this was my first time creating a bagel recipe, I did a little background research first. I needed some inspiration from a tried and true easy bagel recipe. So I looked around at various homemade bagel recipes online.
I finally settled on this amazingly easy and simple bagel recipe by Joanna Cismaru at jocooks.com. Her bagel recipe is perfect for any level baker. And you only need a few simple ingredients to make the bagels. This recipe really helped to set my mind at ease about creating my own bagel recipe.
Easy Bagels With Extra Virgin Olive Oil Info:
These bagels are pleasantly soft and chewy with a lightly sweet taste. I think the olive oil takes them from bland to more flavorful, in my opinion.
In addition to the olive oil, coconut sugar adds so much flavor to the bagels as well. And it gives the bagels a light caramel taste. But you can substitute light brown sugar if you have to – as it has a similar flavor profile.
The Benefit of Using Extra Virgin Olive Oil in Baking Recipes
Most homemade bagel recipes don’t call for any oil or other fat (butter, etc.). But I decided to include extra virgin olive oil to hopefully give the bagels more depth in flavor and taste. And to also make them more healthier. Mission accomplished!
As you can see, olive oil can be used for cooking and baking. And from my personal experience, you can barely tell that these bagels contain olive oil. The olive oil really takes the flavor up a notch for sure.
I can only explain so much how delicious these bagels are. That’s why I can’t wait for you to try this easy bagel with olive oil recipe out for yourself. And I can’t wait to know your thoughts on it!
Why Extra Virgin Olive Oil Over Regular Olive Oil?
Olive oil is known as one of the top oils used for cooking and some baking recipes. But did you know that there are actually two different kinds of olive oil? There’s extra virgin and regular olive oil.
Extra virgin olive oil (unrefined) doesn’t contain any processed oil. It comes straight from cold-pressed olives. Regular olive oil (refined) also comes from cold-pressed olives. But it’s mixed with processed oil as well.
This is why extra virgin olive oil costs more than regular olive oil. Because it’s more pure and not mixed with any chemicals or solvents. This is why I recommend using extra virgin olive oil for this bagel recipe. But of course, you can use regular olive oil if you choose to.
The Best Bagel Toppings For These Bagels
There really are no right or wrong toppings for bagels. These easy bagels with extra virgin olive oil are ready for whatever you feel like topping them with.
My favorite bagel topping is a light layer of cream cheese topped with strawberry jam. So good! Or you can top your bagel with butter and your favorite jam flavor.
You can also use a bagel to make deli sandwiches with. Try topping your bagel with your favorite deli meat and cheese, with a little mustard, mayo, etc. Too delicious! What do you usually top your bagels with? I’m so curious to know:)
How to Keep These Bagels Fresh
It’s pretty easy to keep these bagels fresh. Just store them in a sealed ziplock bag or other airtight container for a couple of days at room temperature. They should taste great for up to 2 days after making them. But I’m sure they won’t last that long. They didn’t for me, lol.
Easy Bagels With Extra Virgin Olive Oil Ingredients
You don’t need but a few basic ingredients to make these bagels. Here they are:
- Warm Water
- Instant Yeast
- Olive Oil (extra virgin preferably)
- Coconut or light brown sugar
- Plain All-Purpose Flour
- Bread Flour
- Salt
Since this is my first bagel recipe, I don’t have any other bagel recipes to recommend to you. But I do have this easy and very delicious vegan French toast recipe. And these chocolate banana oat breakfast cookies are so good!
And if you’ve made these bagels or are considering, let me know what you think! Thank you so much, and God bless.
Easy Bagels With Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups warm water (110-115 degrees!)
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- coconut or light brown sugar
- 1 cup and 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Combine the warm water, instant yeast, olive oil and sugar in a large mixing bowl Add in the salt and flours. *If using a bread machine – just add in all the ingredients or per the bread machine instructions and let the dough knead for 5-8 minutes. Then add the dough to an oiled or greased bowl*Combine with a fork until a dough forms After the dough forms, move the dough to a floured surface.Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes until it’s less sticky and smooth. Sprinkle with a little more flour if needed. Grease or oil the bowl that you took the dough out of. Or if you used a bread machine – grease or oil a large mixing bowl.
- Now you’re going to let the dough sit in the bowl (covered) for 45 minutes to an hour. After that – you can start forming the bagels.
- Before forming the bagels, start heating up a large pot of water (2 quarts). Add in 2 tsp of baking soda and 2 tablespoons of honey. This helps to add more flavor to the bagels. And it adds a light crispiness to the outer crust.Let the water come to a boil, then turn down the heat to low-medium.
- To form the bagels, portion out 9 equal pieces from the dough. Roll each piece into a ball, then poke a hole in the middle with your finger. Stretch the hole until it’s bigger (about 1 1/2 inches). Carefully add two bagels at a time (or more if you use a really large pot). Boil on each side of the bagel for 30 seconds. *This helps to keep the bagel chewy inside and crispy on the outside*
- The bagels will be wet after you take them out of the water. So it’s best to use a slotted spoon to take them out and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet (or 2 baking sheets for more room)
- If you want your bagels to have that pretty golden brown shine to them – brush them with an egg wash (egg white + 2 teaspoons water) before baking them. Or you can brush them with melted dairy-free butter if you’re vegan). You can leave the bagels plain. Or you can sprinkle them with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, shredded cheese, etc. right after brushing them with the egg wash, so they’ll stick.
- Bake the bagels at 425 degrees for 15-16 minutes until browned to your liking.
