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A homemade tomato basil bagel topped with mozzarella and pepperonis, this pizza bagel serves up deliciousness for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

Close up of a pizza bagel cut in half in a pile of additional homemade bagels.

This Pizza Bagel Recipe is going to be your go-to!

You know the concept of clothing that goes from day to night wear seamlessly? That’s this pizza bagel (it’s just 10,000x yummier). But lest you get confused, these do NOT taste like a bagel bite. The tender bagel interior is flavored with marinara, garlic, and basil while the chewy exterior is covered with lots of cheese and pepperonis. Eat these for breakfast, or expand your horizons with pizza bagels for an easy lunch or dinner that you’re going to want to put on the menu rotation ASAP.

Side view of a pile of homemade tomato basil pizza bagels.

Ingredients in Homemade Pizza Bagels

  • Warm water (105° F- 113° F) – Make sure your water is warm but not hot! This will help yield active, happy yeast. 
  • Dry active yeast
  • Brown sugar
  • Bread flour – This will help your homemade bagels be soft for dayyyyys. 
  • Salt
  • Marinara sauce – Use your favorite marinara sauce here! 
  • Garlic powder
  • Fresh basil, minced – Fresh is a must, IMO. 
  • Pepperonis – Feel free to use regular or turkey pepperoni. 
  • Shredded mozzarella cheese 
  • Shredded parmesan cheese
Pizza bagels prior to being baked.

How to Make Pizza Bagels from Scratch

  1. In a small bowl, combine the warm water, yeast and brown sugar. Stir to combine and set aside until bubbly and foamy.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl if kneading by hand, measure out and combine the 4 1/2 cup bread flour, salt, marinara sauce, garlic powder and basil.
  3. If using a stand mixer, pour the bubbly yeast mixture into the mixer. Using the dough hook, knead the dough together for 10 minutes. Add up to 1/4 cup extra flour, if needed. The dough should be soft, but not sticky.
  4. If kneading by hand, pour the bubbly yeast mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir with a sturdy spoon until you can’t stir anymore. At that point, pour the dough out onto a clean countertop and knead by hand until a soft dough forms. If the dough sticks to the counter or your hands, add a bit more flour until it can be easily worked with without sticking to your hands. It should be slightly tacky, but not sticky.
  5. Cover the dough and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.
  6. Once the dough has rested, use a bench scraper to divide the dough into 8 equal sized pieces.

Shaping and Baking your Bagels

  1. Shape your bagels by rolling each piece into a tight ball and pushing and pulling on the counter with the palm of your hand on the top of the dough, moving it in circles.
  2. Flatten the dough slightly and then press your thumb into the dough to create the center hole. Pull gently while moving the dough around your thumb to create the bagel shape.
  3. Repeat with remaining dough and arrange on a silicone line cookie sheet.
  4. Cover and allow the bagels to rise for 30 minutes.
  5. When the bagels have been rising for about 20 minutes, fill a large pot with about 4 inches of water and place on the stovetop over high heat and bring to a boil.
  6. Preheat the oven to 425° F.
  7. Once the water is boiling, working in batches, boil each bagel for 30 seconds to 1 minute, flipping the bagel and repeating the process. The longer they boil for the chewier their crust will be.
  8. Remove from the boiling water and place back on the parchment lined cookie sheet.
  9. Once the bagels have been boiled, add some cheese on top of the bagel, then place 4 pepperoni slices on top and then top with more cheese (both mozzarella and parmesan).
  10. Repeat until all bagels are topped with cheese and pepperoni.
  11. Bake at 425° F for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown.
  12. Allow the bagels to cool for 10 minutes after coming out of the oven and then enjoy!
Image of pizza bagel sliced in two next to additional bagels.

Homemade Bagel Tips

There are a couple of things that make baking homemade bagels much easier! First, 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. Second, 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.

How to Store my Pizza Bagel

Store your bagels in an airtight zip lock bag at room temperature for up to 3 days (if they last this long).

How do I shape homemade bagels?

Form each piece of dough into a tight ball. Press your thumb into the center of each ball, squeezing and rotating the dough around your thumb to create the bagel shape. Place on a parchment or silicone-lined 3/4 cookie sheet.

Close up of a pizza bagel cut in half in a pile of additional homemade bagels. Across the top it says "tomato basil pizza bagels"

Other Savory Bagels

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Pizza Bagel Recipe

A homemade tomato basil bagel topped with mozzarella and pepperonis, this pizza bagel serves up deliciousness for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 8 Bagels

Ingredients 

  • 1 1/2 cups warm water (105° F- 113° F)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp dry active yeast
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 4 1/2 cups bread flour + more as needed
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup favorite marinara sauce
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tbsp fresh basil, minced
  • 32 pepperonis
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions 

  • In a small bowl, combine the warm water, yeast and brown sugar. Stir to combine and set aside until bubbly and foamy.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl if kneading by hand, measure out and combine the 4 1/2 cup bread flour, salt, marinara sauce, garlic powder and basil.
  • If using a stand mixer, pour the bubbly yeast mixture into the mixer. Using the dough hook, knead the dough together for 10 minutes. Add up to 1/4 cup extra flour, if needed. The dough should be soft, but not sticky.
  • If kneading by hand, pour the bubbly yeast mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir with a sturdy spoon until you can’t stir anymore. At that point, pour the dough out onto a clean countertop and knead by hand until a soft dough forms. If the dough sticks to the counter or your hands, add a bit more flour until it can be easily worked with without sticking to your hands. It should be slightly tacky, but not sticky.
  • Cover the dough and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.
  • Once the dough has rested, use a bench scraper to divide the dough into 8 equal sized pieces.
  • Shape your bagels by rolling each piece into a tight ball and pushing and pulling on the counter with the palm of your hand on the top of the dough, moving it in circles.
  • Flatten the dough slightly and then press your thumb into the dough to create the center hole. Pull gently while moving the dough around your thumb to create the bagel shape.
  • Repeat with remaining dough and arrange on a silicone line cookie sheet.
  • Cover and allow the bagels to rise for 30 minutes.
  • When the bagels have been rising for about 20 minutes, fill a large pot with about 4 inches of water and place on the stovetop over high heat and bring to a boil.
  • Preheat the oven to 425° F.
  • Once the water is boiling, working in batches, boil each bagel for 30 seconds to 1 minute, flipping the bagel and repeating the process. The longer they boil for the chewier their crust will be.
  • Remove from the boiling water and place back on the parchment lined cookie sheet.
  • Once the bagels have been boiled, add some cheese on top of the bagel, then place 4 pepperoni slices on top and then top with more cheese (both mozzarella and parmesan).
  • Repeat until all bagels are topped with cheese and pepperoni.
  • Bake at 425° F for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Allow the bagels to cool for 10 minutes after coming out of the oven and then enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 984mg | Potassium: 59mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 238IU | Vitamin C: 0.004mg | Calcium: 219mg | Iron: 0.3mg
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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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