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Making bagels at home does not have to be difficult. This asiago cheese bagel recipe yields the extraordinarily flavorful bagels with the most delightful bagel texture known to man. 

Asiago bagels, on the counter with cream cheese. One bagel cut in half and on a plate. photo taken from a top down view.

Why I love Asiago Bagels

We are a bagel family. My husband eats a bagel for breakfast nearly every day and this year, I’m on a quest to make all of his favorite bagels from scratch. First up on my list? These asiago bagels! Which, I’m delighted to announce, he has proclaimed are the best bagels he has ever eaten. Period. And that includes the NY bagels we ate ad nauseam in the city a few months ago. 

Making bagels at home typically gets a bad rap as being ‘too complicated’ but this cheese bagel recipe is ULTRA EASY. You don’t even need a mixer (although, having one may make this bagel recipe even easier!) In the past couple of weeks, I’ve made this recipe no less than 10 times and I’ve learned a few tricks that will make your bagel-making experience a breeze. 

First, while most bagels use something called barley malt, I’ve found that brown sugar will yield a similar flavor + result and is 10,000x more accessible. Second, I recommend grabbing an extra large cookie sheet + silicone mat so you can bake all of your bagels at once. Necessary? No. But highly convenient. Finally, this spider strainer is a must for boiling your bagels. A slotted spoon will get the job done, but this spider will allow the water to drip off of the bagels so much easier & quicker. 

asiago bagels stacked on top of each other with some raspberries and cream cheese next to it.

What is an Asiago Bagel?

Asiago bagels are your classic bagel with a spectacularly cheesy twist! This recipe for asiago cheese bagels has you absolutely cover the tops of your homemade bagels with asiago (or any other type of cheese you might prefer) prior to baking. This gives them a killer cheesy flavor and extra texture that you’re going to be obsessed with. 

Asiago Cheese Bagel ingredients

  • Warm water (105°F -113°F)
  • Dry active yeast
  • Brown sugar, packed – Most bagel places use barley malt in their bagels but that isn’t something that is super available so we are using brown sugar which is a pretty good replacement.
  • Bread flour – Bread flour is a must. Trust me. I resisted for so so long but it makes THE biggest difference in your bagels. They will stay fresh for DAYS, won’t dry out and will give us the best most bagely texture ever. *Include a link for this! 
  • Salt
  • Shredded asiago cheese, divided – You can sub parmesan or cheddar, too! 
shaped bagel

How to make Asiago Bagels

  1. In a small bowl, add the warm water, dry active yeast and brown sugar. Stir to combine and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, add the 4 1/2 cups of bread flour, salt and 1/2 cup of shedded cheese. Stir to combine.
  3. After a rest period of about 5 minutes, your yeast mixture should be bubbly and foamy. Add the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients.
  4. If using a stand mixer, use the dough hook and knead for 10 minutes, you will most likely need to add the extra 3 tbsp of flour to keep the dough workable but soft.
  5. If mixing by hand, start by stirring the dry ingredients into the yeast mixture until a shaggy dough forms. At this point, pour the contents onto a clean surface and knead by hand for 10 minutes. Add the extra 2-3 tbsp of bread flour as needed to keep the dough soft but workable. Knead by pushing the dough, turning and folding it in half. Repeating this for 10 minutes.
  6. Once the dough has finished kneading, allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes.
  7. Use a sharp knife or bench scraper to cut the dough into 8 equal sized pieces. (Cut the dough in half, then each half in half again and then once more)
  8. Take each portion of dough and knead into a tight ball
  9. Once in a ball, press your thumb into the center of the ball and gently squeeze and pull the dough while rotating it around your thumb to create the bagel shape. Place onto a parchment or silicone lined 3/4 cookie sheet (this is just a larger cookie sheet).
  10. Repeat with the remaining dough.
  11. Cover the cookie sheet with plastic wrap and allow the bagels to rise for 30 minutes.
  12. Preheat the oven to 425°F once the bagels have risen for 30 minutes.
  13. In a large pot, boil about 4 inches of water
  14. Once the water is at a rolling boil, carefully drop the risen bagels into the boiling water one by one. You may have to do this in a few batches. 
  15. Boil the bagels for about 1 minute, flip over to the other side and boil for an additional minute.
  16. Using a large slotted spoon or spider strainer remove the bagels and return to the lined cookie sheet.
  17. Repeat with the remaining bagels. While the next batch of bagels are boiling, top the boiled ones with shredded cheese.
  18. Once all of the bagels have boiled and are topped with shredded cheese, bake in the 425° F oven for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown.
  19. Allow the bagels to cool for 10 minutes before cutting and enjoying.
  20. Store in a zip top bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.
asiago cheese bagels in a wire basket next to some cream cheese and a black and white striped dishtowel.

How to serve a Cheese Bagel 

Guys, these bagels are SO good that I mostly just eat them plain. But I understand you may want to spruce it up. You can serve these as the base for a killer breakfast sandwich, toasted with cream cheese or simply buttered. No matter how you serve it up, it’s divine. 

How to store an Asiago Cheese Bagel

Store your bagels in an airtight zip lock bag at room temperature for up to 3 days (and honestly, a little bit longer). 

Do cheese bagels need to be refrigerated?

Nope! Even though these bagels contain cheese, you’re safe to store these on the counter. 

pin image for asiago cheese bagel recipe with ext overlay.

Asiago Bagel Recipe FAQs

Are bagels healthier than bread?

Both bread & bagels can be part of a healthy diet, but I don’t know if I’m qualified to say whether bagels are healthier. If you’re talking about sweet breads, this bagel is definitely healthier. 

What can I put in a bagel besides cream cheese?

You can put anything you want on top of these homemade asiago bagels. A few of my favorite combos are a poached egg + avocado, deli meat + cheese, bacon + scrambled eggs + more cheese, egg or tuna salad. Really, your options are endless. 

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4.77 from 13 votes

Asiago Cheese Bagels

Making bagels at home does not have to be difficult. This asiago cheese bagel recipe yields the extraordinarily flavorful bagels with the most delightful bagel texture known to man. 
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Rest Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8 bagels

Ingredients 

  • 2 cups warm water, (105° F- 113° F)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp dry active yeast
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar, packed
  • 4 1/2-4 3/4 cup bread flour
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 cups shredded asiago cheese, can sub parmesan or cheddar, too!)

Instructions 

  • In a small bowl, add the warm water, dry active yeast and brown sugar. Stir to combine and set aside.
  • In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, add the 4 1/2 cups of bread flour, salt and 1/2 cup of shedded cheese. Stir to combine.
  • Your yeast mixture should be bubbly and foamy. If it is not, your bagels will not rise. Discard the yeast mixture and try again. The mixture must be bubbly and foamy before proceeding.
  • Add the yeast mixture to they dry ingredients.
  • If using a stand mixer, use the dough hook and knead for 10 minutes, you will most likely need to add the extra 1/4 cup of flour to keep the dough workable but soft. It should not be sticky when worked with in your hands.
  • If mixing by hand, start by stirring the dry ingredients into the yeast mixture until a shaggy dough forms. At this point, pour the contents onto a clean surface and knead by hand for 10 minutes. Add the extra 2-3 tbsp of bread flour as needed to keep the dough soft but workable.
  • Knead by Pushing the dough, turning and folding it in half. Repeating this for 10 minutes.
  • Once the dough has fished kneading, Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes.
  • Use a sharp knife or bench scraper to cut the dough into 8 equal sized pieces. (Cut the dough in half, then each half in half again and then once more)
  • Take each portion of dough and knead into a tight ball. Once in a ball, press your thumb into the center of the ball and gently squeeze and pull the dough while rotating it around your thumb to create the bagel shape. Place onto a parchment or silicone lined 3/4 cookie sheet (this is just a larger cookie sheet).
  • Repeat with the remaining dough.Cover the cookie sheet with plastic wrap and allow the bagels to rise for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 425°F once the bagels have risen for 30 minutes.
  • In a large pot, boil about 4 inches of water. Once the water is at a rolling boil, carefully drop the risen bagels into the boiling water one by one. You may have to do this in a few batches.
  • Boil the bagels for about 1 minute, flip over to the other side and boil for an additional minute.
  • Using a large slotted spoon or spider strainer to remove the bagels and return to the lined cookie sheet.
  • Repeat with the remaining bagels. While the next batch of bagels are boiling, top the boiled ones with shredded cheese.
  • Once all of the bagels have boiled and are topped with shredded cheese, bake in the 425° F oven for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Allow the bagels to cool for 10 minutes before cutting and enjoying.
  • Store in a zip top bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 360kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 987mg | Potassium: 103mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 197IU | Vitamin C: 0.003mg | Calcium: 310mg | Iron: 1mg
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About Karli Bitner

This blog is a little glimpse into my kitchen, family & life. I hope you’ll giggle the days away with me and enjoy the craziness that goes on at my house. If you are Cookie obsessed like I am, check out my Sister Site, Cookies for Days.

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60 Comments

  1. Made this recipe and the bagels were scrumptious! Recipe was super easy to follow and I’ve shared it with several friends already. Am hoping you have a pumpernickel bagel recipe as well (or should I say my husband is hoping?). 😊

  2. That is a great question! I haven’t ever done that before, but I don’t see any reason as to why it wouldn’t work.

  3. O……M……G…..
    Just pulled them out of the oven…. if they taste half as good as they look…I used parmesean because it’s what I had.
    These were SO easy to make!!

  4. I am excited about the year of bagels. I made the Asiago cheese bagels today and they are fire. Looking forward to Saturday

  5. Hi. If we omit the cheese all together, do I need to increase any other ingredient quantity?

  6. Nope! You should be good to go. I do have a plain bagel recipe coming to my site this Saturday, if you’re interested in that!