Cinnamon Bagel Recipe

Close up of a cinnamon crunch bagel on the counter.

5 from 6 votes

The Panera Bread copycat Cinnamon Crunch Bagel recipe is HERE! And it’s even better than the original (but I’ll let you be the judge of that).

Prep Time25

Cook Time15

Rest Time35

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cinnamon bagels, cinnamon crunch bagels, panera bread copycat

Servings: bagels

Author: Karli Bitner

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 cups bread flour
2 tsp salt
1 cup cinnamon chips*
1/2 cup chopped white chocolate
egg wash: 1 egg white + 1 tbsp water, whisked together

Cinnamon Crunch Topping

4 tbsp brown sugar
4 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp bread flour
2 tbsp salted butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine warm water, dry active yeast, and brown sugar. Stir and set aside.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together 4 1/2 cups of bread flour, salt, cinnamon chips and chopped white chocolate.
Add the foamy and bubbly yeast mixture to the dry ingredients. If your yeast isn’t bubbly and foamy, your yeast isn’t activated (It could be that your water was too cold, too hot or your yeast is old). Throw that out and try again if it isn’t bubbly and foamy.
Using a Stand Mixer Attach the dough hook and knead for 10 minutes, adding up to 1/2 cup of extra flour to maintain a soft, workable dough.
By Hand: Stir the dry ingredients into the yeast mixture until a shaggy dough forms. Transfer the dough onto a clean surface and knead by hand for 10 minutes. Add extra flour as needed. Knead by pushing, turning, and folding the dough repeatedly.
After kneading, let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
Use a sharp knife or bench scraper to divide the dough into 8 equal pieces (cut the dough in half, then each half in half again, and then once more).
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.
Cover the cookie sheet with plastic wrap and allow the bagels to rise for 20 minutes.
While the bagels are rising, Make the cinnamon crunch topping by combining all of the ingredients into a small bowl. Set aside.
Set the oven to 425°F after the bagels have risen for 20 minutes.
In a large pot, bring about 4 inches of water to a rolling boil.
While the water is coming to a boil, make the egg wash by whisking together the egg white and water. Set aside.
Carefully drop the risen bagels into the water, doing so in batches if necessary. Boil each bagel for 1 minute, flip, then boil for another minute. Use a slotted spoon or spider strainer to remove the bagels and place them back on the cookie sheet.
After the bagels have been boiled, brush each bagel with the egg wash mixture and then sprinkle generously with the cinnamon crunch topping.
Bake the bagels in the preheated oven for 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown.
Let the bagels cool for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve and enjoy!
Store the bagels in a zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Notes

I do not recommend the Hershey's brand of cinnamon chips- they tend to melt, turn orange and are generally not great flavor wise. I suggest using Orson Gygi or there are some brands on Amazon.

Nutrition