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These homemade bagels are my cheesiest yet! With cheddar cheese in the dough and melted on top, you chedda believe you’re going to love it.

You’ll Love These Homemade Cheddar Bagels!

A couple of months ago I bought an expensive cheddar bagel from a local shop, sliced it in half and was so disappointed when I bit into the bottom side – there was absolutely zero cheese flavor. I decided then and there that when I made a cheddar bagel for my weekly bagel series, it wouldn’t rely on a few sprinkles of cheese on top to season it. This cheddar bagel includes a whole cup of cheese in the dough, ensuring you get delicious cheesy flavor in every single bite! But don’t worry, it doesn’t taste stringy or gummy, it just adds a wonderful cheddary BAM so you can have your cheese bagel and actually taste it in the bottom half, too.

A cheddar bagel made at home that has been cut in half.

What You’ll Need to Make Cheddar Bagels at Home

Warm water (105° F- 113° F) – You’ll want this water to be warm, but not too hot! This will foster perfect yeast growth.
Dry active yeast
Brown sugar
Bread flour – Using bread flour is a MUST! It makes the bagels so tender and soft.
Salt – I personally like to use Redmond Real Sea Salt, but you can use whatever salt you’d like.
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided – I think sharp cheddar cheese is the way to go here! But if you want to use something milder, go ahead.

A single cheddar bagel on a piece of parchment next to a pile of additional homemade bagels.

How to Make Cheddar Bagels

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 cup of the shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Mix to combine.
At this point, your yeast mixture should be bubbly and foamy. Add the active yeast mixture to the dry ingredients.
If using a stand mixer, use the dough hook and knead for 10 minutes, you will most likely need to add in a bit of extra flour to keep the dough workable but soft.
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 finished kneading, allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes.

Shaping & Baking Cheddar Bagels

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 20-30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425°F once the bagels have risen.
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, 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 in the fridge for up to 4 days. Enjoy!

How should I store my homemade bagels?

Once your bagels have cooled, store in an airtight container or a zip top bag in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Can I freeze cheddar bagels?

Yes, you absolutely can! Let your bagels cool completely and then place in a freezer-proof bag. Freeze and use within 3 months.

cheddar bagel pin image with text overlay.

Cheesy Bagels to Devour

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5 from 1 vote

Cheddar Bagel Recipe

By: Karli Bitner

These homemade bagels are my cheesiest yet! With cheddar cheese in the dough and melted on top, you chedda believe you’re going to love it.

Prep Time: 43

Cook Time: 15

Rise Time: 30

Servings: bagels

Ingredients

▢ 2 cups warm water (105° F- 113° F)
▢ 1 1/2 tbsp dry active yeast
▢ 1 tbsp brown sugar
▢ 4 1/2 cups bread flour
▢ 2 tsp salt
▢ 2 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

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 cup of the shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Mix to combine.
At this point, your yeast mixture should be bubbly and foamy. Add the active yeast mixture to the dry ingredients.
If using a stand mixer, use the dough hook and knead for 10 minutes, you will most likely need to add in a bit of extra flour to keep the dough workable but soft.
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 finished 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 20-30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425°F once the bagels have risen.
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, 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 in the fridge for up to 4 days. Enjoy!

Nutrition

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