These simple 3 Ingredient Bagels are an absolute staple in my house and for good reason! They are so easy to make and so delicious, that you will genuinely be surprised they are not a classic bagel. The recipe uses Greek yoghurt, salt and self-raising flour to make simple bagels, ready in less than an hour and perfect for breakfast or lunch.
Making bagels won’t be for everyone, and I do understand. The shop-bought options these days are great and very convenient. But something about a freshly baked bagel is unbeatable as it is so crisp on the outside and so chewy in the middle. You don’t even need to toast these 3 Ingredient Bagels when they are fresh. I like to make these Breakfast Bagel Sandwiches with these when they are fresh from the oven. So good.
Why you will love these 3 Ingredient Bagels recipe:
- They are made with minimal ingredients so you know what’s in there and what you are eating.
- Unlike traditional bagels, made with a yeast-leavened dough, these bagels don't need time to prove and rise.
- This recipe requires minimal kneading too.
- The result is a crisp, chewy bagel, made quickly and from inexpensive ingredients. What’s not to love?
- Making your own bagels means the toppings and mix-ins are fully customisable to your preferences. I made these here with cheddar and pickled jalapenos.
You will need the following ingredients:
Self-raising flour - if you aren’t familiar with this, it’s plain (all-purpose) flour mixed with raising agents already. It’s very commonly found in the UK but this isn’t the case everywhere. You can use plain flour with 2 teaspoon of baking powder added in as an alternative.
Salt - as there are so few ingredients in this, salt is really key to make the bagels delicious. I use Maldon salt always, it’s flakey and therefore lighter and more delicate than table salt.
Greek yoghurt - this needs to be thick and full-fat Greek yoghurt as the fat and protein content is what builds the dough. If you use low-fat yoghurt, you will risk the dough not coming together and won’t get the right final result.
Everything else listed is extras for adorning and flavouring the bagels.
Full recipe can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, just scroll down!
Substitutions and Variations:
Self-raising flour: You can use plain flour with 2 teaspoon of baking powder added in as an alternative.
Toppings
Cheese & Jalapeno: This is what I used this time around. Add 1 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapenos and a handful of grated cheddar to the dough when mixing together. Then once formed and egg washed, top with grated cheddar cheese and a few more jalapeno slices for a spicy, cheesy twist. You could also skip the jalapeno and do cheese as the sole topping/mix-in for a cheese bagel.
Everything Bagel Seasoning: If you haven’t tried it before, it’s salty, savoury and nutty. You can buy the seasoning in lots of supermarkets now, on Amazon, or you can make your own. Simply mix 2 teaspoon white sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon onion granules, 1 teaspoon garlic granules, 1 teaspoon flakey salt, ½ teaspoon poppy seeds.
Keep them plain: you could really stick to 3 ingredients and just have plain bagels as a blank canvas for whatever you want to add. A sprinkle of flakey salt after the egg wash would work well here.
Cinnamon/Raisin: Cinnamon and sugar on top would be delicious. Mix 2 tablespoon caster (or brown) sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon (adjust for your preference) and sprinkle over the bagel after egg washing. You could also fold in 3 tablespoon raisins or currants to the dough if you want a cinnamon raisin bagel. I also like to season the boiling water with 1 tablespoon sugar along with a pinch of salt to give them an extra sweetness.
Za’atar: you can buy delicious, pre-mixed za’atar blends that would be delicious as a bagel topping.
Poppy seeds: poppy seed bagels are a classic. Pack those onto each bagel post egg wash for a crisp exterior with a milder taste than everything bagels.
Here's how to make easy 3 Ingredient Bagels:
Here's a step by step guide for what you need to do, but you can find the full recipe below for detailed instructions.
ONE: In a large bowl, add the flour and the yoghurt. Mix together, either with a spoon or you can use your hands, until a dough forms. I usually start with a spoon, tip onto a surface, and then use my hands to bring it together. The dough will be a little sticky but still light. If it is too sticky, add a sprinkle more flour.
TWO: Once a dough has formed, split it into four and roll each into a ball. Using a clean finger, poke a hole in the middle of each ball and then swing the bagel around your finger like a hula-hoop to stretch it and make a bagel shape.
THREE: Get a large pot of water on to boil and add the baking powder. Add your bagels in (you will probably need to do this one at a time, maybe two) and boil for 1-2 minutes.
FOUR: Remove from the water and set aside, laying each bagel on a tray lined with parchment paper.
FIVE: Heat the oven to 180c. Beat the egg and then use a pastry brush to egg wash each bagel. Then sprinkle on your topping of choice.
SIX: Bake for around 30 minutes, you want them golden brown and crisp on the outside, then remove from the oven.
Cooking Tips:
Kneading: be careful to not over-mix or over knead when bringing the dough together as that risks a dense bagel. You want the dough to feel light and airy when you’ve kneaded it together and a tiny bit sticky. Remember you can add more flour if it feels too sticky.
Serving suggestions: depending on what topping you went for, there are so many different fillings. A classic is cream cheese, it goes with both sweet and savoury. I also love eating a bagel with a crispy fried egg and ketchup (and butter on the bagel!)
I love smoked salmon, cream cheese and cucumber or pickled red onion. It’s a popular choice for a reason.
Or try bacon, egg and cheese to make it into a breakfast sandwich. Really delicious and a bit different to a classic bacon sarnie.
In New York, where bagels are everywhere, they often do a chicken salad or tuna salad bagel. Essentially, shredded chicken or tuna with mayo, mustard, onion, seasonings, celery, or whatever you like, all mashed together and piled into a bagel.
Frequently Asked Questions
This method is what gives bagels their distinctive chewy texture. You could skip this and go straight to egg wash and baking but it won’t quite have that classic bagel texture. Make sure to use a large pot and keep it boiling the whole time. Boil them one by one if your pot is smaller as you don’t want to risk them sticking together.
Place in an airtight container for up to 3 days, at room temperature.
Yes, they do freeze well for up to 3 months. I wrap them individually in clingfilm before placing in the freezer.
Other recipes you might enjoy:
For some inspiration of what to put inside the bagel, these Breakfast Bagels are so good. Inspired by Anthony Bourdain, they are crispy folded mortadella pieces with melted cheese and fluffy egg. You might want to try other sandwiches like this Mortadella and Burrata one - it would also be good in a fresh bagel.
For other baking recipes, I love to make this Salted Caramel Bread and Butter Brioche Pudding. It’s basically a dessert rather than brunch but simpler than you think. Or my Lemon Meringue Cheesecake is delicious, a real showstopper with different elements such as the biscuit base, the lemony cheesecake filling and Italian meringue topping. Pistachio and Raspberry Cake is also a classic cake but elevated a little - soft pistachio sponge layered with sweet pistachio buttercream and fruity raspberry jam. It tastes as good as it looks.
Made this recipe and loved it?
I would love love LOVE if you could leave a review in the comments… I love hearing what you thought, any changes you made, the stories behind what made you try my recipes. Also, if you share a photo on Instagram, please tag me @desertislanddishes, it makes my day to see you making my creations!
Print3 Ingredient Bagels
The simplest baking recipe: 3 Ingredient Bagels. They only use Greek yoghurt, self-raising flour and salt and make a perfect chewy yet crisp bagel.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: Makes 4 bagels 1x
- Category: Baking
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the bagels:
- 300g self-raising flour
- 280g thick Greek yoghurt
- 1 tsp salt
Extras:
- 1 egg, for egg wash
- 1 tbsp baking powder
Toppings:
- Flaky salt
- Cheddar cheese
- Pickled jalapeno
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the flour and the yoghurt. Mix together, either with a spoon or you can use your hands, until a dough forms. I usually start with a spoon, tip it onto a clean surface, and then use my hands to bring it together. The dough will be a little sticky but still light. If it is too sticky, add a sprinkle more flour.
- Once a dough has formed, split it into four and roll each into a ball. Using a clean finger, poke a hole in the middle of each ball and then swing the bagel around your finger like a hula-hoop to stretch it and make a bagel shape. Or you can roll each quarter of the dough into a sausage shape and then pinch the two ends together to form a circular ring.
- Get a large pot of water on to boil and add the baking powder. Add your bagels in (you will probably need to do this one at a time, maybe two) and boil for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the water and set aside, laying each bagel on a tray lined with parchment paper.
- Heat the oven to 180c. Beat the egg and then use a pastry brush to egg wash each bagel. Then sprinkle on your topping of choice. The egg wash helps this stick and helps them turn golden brown in the oven.
- Bake for around 30 minutes, you want them golden brown and crisp on the outside, then remove from the oven. Nothing better than a warm fresh bagel!
Notes
Step-by-step images: if you scroll up, you’ll find a helpful step-by-step guide to help you with this recipe.
Boiling bagels: this method is what gives bagels their distinctive chewy texture. You could skip this and go straight to egg wash and baking but it won’t quite have that classic bagel texture.
To store: place in an airtight container (once cooked) for up to 3 days.
To freeze: wrap tightly in clingfilm and place in the freezer. They will last around 3 months.
To reheat: When you want to eat a frozen bagel, leave at room temp to defrost for a few hours and then I like to slice and toast in the toaster. Airfryer and oven would also work here to reheat and crisp them up again.
Topping ideas:
Cheese & Jalapeno: This is what I used this time around. Add 1 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapenos and a handful of grated cheddar to the dough when mixing together. Then once formed and egg washed, top with grated cheddar cheese and a few more jalapeno slices for a spicy, cheesy twist. You could also skip the jalapeno and do cheese as the sole topping/mix-in for a cheese bagel.
Everything bagel seasoning: If you haven’t tried it before, it’s salty, savoury and nutty. You can buy the seasoning in lots of supermarkets now, on Amazon, or you can make your own. Simply mix 2 teaspoon white sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon onion granules, 1 teaspoon garlic granules, 1 teaspoon flakey salt, ½ teaspoon poppy seeds.
Keep them plain: you could really stick to 3 ingredients and just have plain bagels as a blank canvas for whatever you want to add. A sprinkle of flakey salt after the egg wash would work well here.
Sweet: Cinnamon and sugar on top would be delicious. Mix 2 tablespoon caster (or brown) sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon (adjust for your preference) and sprinkle over the bagel after egg washing. You could also fold in 3 tablespoon raisins or currants to the dough if you want a cinnamon raisin bagel. I also like to season the boiling water with 1 tablespoon sugar along with a pinch of salt to give them an extra sweetness.
Za’atar: you can buy delicious, pre-mixed za’atar blends that would be delicious as a bagel topping.
Poppy seeds: poppy seed bagels are a classic. Pack those onto each bagel post egg wash for a crisp exterior with a milder taste than everything bagels.
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