These Brioche Bagels are chewy and soft, made with an enriched brioche dough that is so silky, smooth, and flavorful. Top with jalapeño cheddar, Zaatar, everything but the bagel seasoning, or your desired toppings, and slather it with cream cheese.
Bagels are typically made with a lean dough. Lean doughs are low in fat and contain flour, yeast, water, salt, sugar, and give breads that hard outer crisp and crust. I have a wonderful easy homemade bagel recipe using a lean dough, if you'd like to try your hand at it.
In this recipe, however, I wanted to turn my brioche dough into a bagel. I wanted a soft and enriched dough that was slightly crisp on the outside from the honey bath, but very luscious and soft from the inside. A little chewy, a little soft, and the best of all worlds.
If you're interested in more brioche recipes, I have a whole series dedicated to breads using brioche dough, like my Lemon Curd Buns, Raspberry Cheesecake Brioche Buns, Pumpkin Cheesecake Brioche Buns, Breakfast Brioche Buns, Apple Cheesecake Brioche Buns, Brioche Burger Buns, and Coffee Cinnamon Rolls.
Why You'll Love this Recipe
Texture: It has a slight crisp and a very soft center that stays soft for days.
Flavor: Unlike a regular bagel, these brioche bagels have a buttery, slightly sweet flavor.
Better than store-bought: Hands down, you won't regret making these!
What is Brioche Dough?
Brioche breads are made with an enriched dough and have an added sweetness factor to them than regular dough. Enriched doughs contain milk, eggs and butter. Basically, a lot more fat than a regular dough would have. Brioche dough typically contains more sugar than you would find in a normal dough, as well as a lot more butter.
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Ingredients
These Brioche Bagels have the basic ingredients for a brioche dough that creates the silky and rich flavor.
- Flour: This recipe uses Bread Flour. It's important to use bread flour for its high protein content.
- Yeast: My favorite yeast to use is Active Dry Yeast, which requires proofing before adding it to the flour mixture. Instant yeast can also be used.
- Milk: It’s best to use whole milk since this is an enriched dough, the more fat, the better.
- Salt: ALWAYS important in any recipe. Without salt, the bread will taste flat.
- Granulated Sugar: This adds sweetness to the Brioche dough and creates a bit more of a softness.
- Egg: I use one whole egg and one yolk for this recipe, adding more fat and flavor.
- Butter: A key ingredient in Brioche is butter. This recipe calls 4 tablespoons of melted butter that is added directly to the dough in the first knead, then 4 tablespoon of softened butter during the second kneading. Make sure the butter is very soft, otherwise it will take a while to incorporate into the dough.
- Water & Honey: To create the honey bath, I use honey in this recipe. Traditional bagel recipes use barley malt syrup, so if you prefer, go ahead and use that.
Optional Ingredients
- Zaatar: You will need this ingredient if you'd like to make zaatar bagels.
- Cheddar & Jalapeños: To make a Jalapeno cheddar bagel, you'll need a little cheddar cheese and fresh or pickled jalapeños. Make sure to pat dry the pickled jalapeños if you choose to use jarred.
- Avocado & Egg: Fry an egg and add some avocado to the bagel after baked up.
- Other: Different seasonings like Everything But the Bagel, sesame, poppyseeds.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Brioche Bagels
Brioche Dough
Yeast Mixture: In a small bowl, add the warm milk, yeast, and teaspoon of sugar and set aside to activate and foam, about 5-10 minutes. Then add the espresso powder and mix.
First knead: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the bread flour, sugar, salt, egg and egg yolk, melted butter, and yeast mixture. Knead (on medium speed: 2 to 4 on KitchenAid) for about 10 minutes until completely combined and forms a dough that pulls away from the bowl.
Second knead: After the first knead, add in the softened butter and knead (on medium speed: 2 to 4 on KitchenAid) for an additional 10-20 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Hint: Once it forms a ball, you can perform the windowpane test. Take a small piece of dough and stretch it between your fingers until it's thin and light can pass through it without tearing
Proof the dough: Place the dough ball in an oiled bowl and cover and let rise for an hour or until doubled in size.
Shape the bagels: Once dough has risen, divide into 8 pieces (I like to use a kitchen scale). Form dough into round balls. Poke your finger into each ball and create a hole in the center of the ball and stretch the dough between your fingers to create a doughnut like shape. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, Cover loosely and let rise for an hour.
Water bath: Boil 8 cups of water with honey and stir the honey into the water. Drop the bagels in the water bath (no more than 3 at a time) and let sit for 45-60 seconds, then flip and let sit for another 45-60 seconds. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake the bagels: Top with toppings (if desired). Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown on the outside.
Bagel Variations
The options are endless when it comes to bagels, and these Brioche Bagels would do great in just about any form!
- Bagel Sandwiches: Turn the bagels into bagel sandwiches, like egg bagel sandwiches, turkey and cheese bagel sandwiches, or whatever your heart desires. My personal favorite is an egg, avocado, and cheese bagel sandwich!
- Zaatar Bagels: After the water bath, sprinkle the top with zaatar, then bake it up. Once baked, you can slice and add labneh and more zaatar with a drizzle of olive oil.
- Jalapeno Cheddar Bagels: Sprinkle the tops with cheddar cheese and slices of jalapenos, then bake it up. You can enjoy them with cream cheese or add an egg.
- Everything but the bagel: We can't forget about the best bagel seasoning to exist. Just sprinkle the seasoning right before baking them up.
Storage
Room Temperature: These Brioche Bagels can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to one week.
Freeze: Once cooled, wrap them up and place them in the freezer for 1-3 months. You can thaw them in the refrigerator the night before, then warm or toast them when ready to eat.
Pro Tips
- Measure Flour Correctly: As always, with any recipe, use a kitchen scale, as it is the best form of measuring your ingredients. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, fluff your flour, scoop flour with a spoon into a measuring cup and level off.
- Don't Skip Kneading: Knead the dough for at least 10 minutes before adding the softened butter. This will ensure the dough forms and pulls away from the bowl. Then once you add the butter, knead for another 10-15 minutes until the butter is completely incorporated and the dough has pulled away from the bowl again.
- Don’t add too much flour: This dough will be tacky, but shouldn’t stick to your hands. It will also be very silky (this due to all the butter added). If while kneading, the dough doesn’t come together after 15 minutes, you can add one tablespoon of flour at a time. But be patient before adding the flour. You don’t want a dry dough.
- Make Ahead: You can absolutely make this recipe ahead of time by letting the dough proof in the refrigerator overnight for the first rise. When you're ready to use, remove from the refrigerator and continue with the recipe.
- Proof in pre-heated oven: One trick I love doing is to pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees Fahrenheit, then turning off the oven and letting my dough proof in the oven. This cuts down on proofing time, especially if I’m in a hurry, but it also helps in the winter when it’s especially cold.
- Windowpane test: To know if your dough is ready, perform the windowpane test where you take a small piece of dough and stretch it out between your fingers. If it stretches out without tearing and light can pass through, then it has passed the windowpane test. If it tears, let the dough knead another 5 minutes, then perform the test again.
FAQ
You can absolutely make this recipe ahead of time by letting the dough proof in the refrigerator overnight for the first rise. When you’re ready to use, remove from the refrigerator and continue with the recipe. You won’t need to let the dough come to room temperature because you’ll still need to proof a second time, so it will have plenty of time.
My milk temperature is a guide so that you don’t use too hot of milk (could kill the yeast) or too cold of milk (won’t activate the yeast). Milk temperature between 105-115 degrees F. will do the trick and yield best results.
To know if your dough is ready, perform the windowpane test where you take a small piece of dough and stretch it out between your fingers. If it stretches out without tearing and light can pass through, then it has passed the windowpane test. If it tears, let the dough knead another 5 minutes, then perform the test again.
Yes, when you boil the bagels, it creates an exterior crust that keeps its shape and prevents it from rising when baking. It also gives the bagels their texture and shine.
📖 Recipe Card
Brioche Bagels
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm milk 110-115°
- 1 packet of active dry yeast 7 grams
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 4 cups (480g) bread flour
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoon melted butter
- 4 tablespoon softened butter
Honey Bath
- 8 cups water
- ¼ cup honey
Optional Toppings
- Jalapeno and cheddar
- Zaatar
- Everything But the Bagel Seasoning
Instructions
Brioche Dough
- In a small bowl, add the warm milk, yeast, and tablespoon of sugar and set aside to activate and foam, about 5 minutes.1 cup warm milk, 1 packet of active dry yeast, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, salt, whole egg + egg yolk, melted butter, and yeast mixture and knead for about 10 minutes until completely combined and forms a dough that pulls away from the bowl.4 cups (480g) bread flour, ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar, 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, 1½ teaspoon salt, 4 tablespoon melted butter
- After the first knead, add in the softened butter and knead for an additional 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.4 tablespoon softened butter
- Place the dough ball in an oiled bowl and cover and let rise for an hour.
Shaping Bagels
- Once dough has risen, divide into 8 pieces (I like to use a kitchen scale). Form dough into round balls. Poke your finger into each ball and create a hole in the center of the ball and stretch the dough between your fingers to create a doughnut like shape. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, Cover loosely and let rise for an hour.
- Halfway through the rise, preheat oven to 425℉
Water bath
- Boil 8 cups of water with honey and stir the honey into the water.8 cups water, ¼ cup honey
- Drop the bagels in the water bath (no more than 3 at a time) and let sit for 45-60 seconds, then flip and let sit for another 45-60 seconds. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Top with toppings (if desired). Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown on the outside.
- Remove from the oven, transfer to wire rack and let cool completely.
- Store leftovers in airtight container and leave at room temperature for 3-5 days.
Notes
- Measure Flour Correctly: As always, with any recipe, use a kitchen scale, as it is the best form of measuring your ingredients. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, fluff your flour, scoop flour with a spoon into a measuring cup and level off.
- Don’t Skip Kneading: Knead the dough for at least 10 minutes before adding the softened butter. This will ensure the dough forms and pulls away from the bowl. Then once you add the butter, knead for another 10-20 minutes until the butter is completely incorporated and the dough has pulled away from the bowl again.
- Don’t add too much flour: This dough will be tacky, but shouldn’t stick to your hands. It will also be very silky (this due to all the butter added). If while kneading, the dough doesn’t come together after 15 minutes, you can add one tablespoon of flour at a time. But be patient before adding the flour. You don’t want a dry dough.
- Make Ahead: You can absolutely make this recipe ahead of time by letting the dough proof in the refrigerator overnight for the first rise. When you’re ready to use, remove from the refrigerator and continue with the recipe. You won’t need to let the dough come to room temperature because you’ll still need to proof a second time, so it will have plenty of time.
- Proof in pre-heated oven: One trick I love doing is to pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees Fahrenheit, then turning off the oven and letting my dough proof in the oven. This cuts down on proofing time, especially if I'm in a hurry, but it also helps in the winter when it's especially cold.
- Windowpane test: To know if your dough is ready, perform the windowpane test where you take a small piece of dough and stretch it out between your fingers. If it stretches out without tearing and light can pass through, then it has passed the windowpane test. If it tears, let the dough knead another 5 minutes, then perform the test again.
melinda rinehart says
Delicious and fun to make!! The brioche dough is silk, and the honey water bath creates the glowing outside you look for in a bagel. I topped with with Everything seasoning, jalapeño and cheddar, poppyseed, and a simple egg wash. I’ll try za’atar next time for sure!
Thanks for sharing a great recipe! 🥰✨
Hakima says
Hi Melinda, thank you for the wonderful review! Those topping options are absolutely a must! I can't wait for you to try the za'atar next time!