Bagels, bagels! Who does not crave for bagels? It could be breakfast for you and snacks for others because you can have it the way you want it. You can have it plain or topped with your favorite cream frosting.
Beigel as others call it, this doughnut-shaped bread can be purchased in most bakery or pastry shops and can be easily baked at home.
You can buy it per piece, but it usually comes in a pack of several bagels. Buying it in packs is often cheaper than buying per piece and that is usually why we have extra bagels left to keep.
How can I keep my extra bagels good for some time? Can I freeze them? Well, it is best to freeze bagels if you want to keep it for at least six months. Refrigerating your bagels will probably not make it last that long, so freezing is your best option.
We will share with you some helpful tips on how to store and freeze bagels. We will also share information about bagels that will help you learn how to prepare and make your own bagels for a delightful meal.
A Complete Guide to Freezing Bagels
If you are not a bagel fan, you still might have seen it in one of the restaurants or cafés you have been too but disregarded it. Bagel is usually served in restaurants other than the typical sandwiches because this type of bread is versatile enough to be eaten plain, with toppings or used as a bun for sandwiches.
You can also purchase bagels in a variety of flavor aside from the plain ones. Here are the popular bagel flavors in the market.
- Sesame Seeds
- Onion
- Blueberry
- Poppy Seeds
- Whole Wheat
- Chocolate Chips
- Garlic
- Jalapeno Cheddar
- Cheese
- Egg
- Cinnamon
- Pumpkin
On these flavored bagels you can also add you own bagel toppings to suit your taste and here are some suggestions for you.
- Jams
- Honey
- Fruits
- Jellies
- Chocolates
- Cheese
- Cream Frostings
- Peanut and other butters
- Chicken, bacon, eggs, sausages, and ham
- Salmon
You are not limited to making bagels based on the flavors and toppings we suggested as you can do a lot on bagels. You can invent your own recipe for bagels to have that mouth-watering bagel flavor and toppings you crave for. You can also toast your bagel if want that crunchy top.
Making Bagels
The best thing with bagels is not just its versatility with different flavors and toppings but also it is easy to make in the comfort of your kitchen.
Here is our simple recipe and the steps for making home-made bagels.
- Prepare ingredients such as flour, salt, sugar, water, instant yeast, oil, and flour. Also prepare your favorite bagel toppings.
- Mix the ingredients thoroughly in a bowl. You can use a dough mixer to ensure a fine dough.
- Knead the bagel dough for at least ten minutes.
- Cover the dough and leave it for at least two hours for the dough to rise.
- Spread some flour on your worktable to prevent the dough from sticking to it.
- Lay the dough on your worktable, roll it into your preferred size and cut it.
- Roll the cut dough into your preferred thickness and form it in circular shape with ends joined.
- Leave the dough bagels for not more than 15 minutes to settle.
- Boil the water where you will cook the bagels.
- Boil the bagel for at least three minutes or until it completely rises from the boiling water, then set aside.
- If you want to add toppings on the bagels, line boiled bagel carefully on your baking sheet.
- Add your bagel toppings and bake for at least fifteen minutes at 475 degrees.
Making your home-made bagels is fun and easy. You can make it to any size you want and you can add any flavors and toppings too.
How to Freeze Bagels
If you are looking forward to keeping your bagels for quite some time, then freezing is your best option and it is very easy to do. You can keep it in the fridge for a day or two and it will become stale unlike freezing it.
How do you store and freeze bagels? Here are our easy tips.
- Use airtight or re-sealable freezer bags to pack or store bagels.
- Wrap or pack bagels with flavor separately then place it in one container for freezing.
- Label each pack of bagels on the date of freezing.
- Freeze bagels for at least six months.
Since bagels are solid food it is very easy to handle it for storage and freezing but always remember to pack it carefully such that no air and other food odor can sip in into the bagel packs. Air and other food odor may affect the smell of your bagel and can also be the reason of spoilage.
If you do not intend to freeze bagels because you plan on consuming it within a week or two, then it is also safe to package it tightly and leave it at room temperature. It will remain best to eat for at least two weeks.
Using Bagels After Freezing
It is a good thing that bagels are very easy to handle. You can simply take it out from your fridge for reheating.
Frozen bagels can be thawed at room temperature for an hour or two, but you can also reheat it right out of your freezer.
You can find different ways of warming or reheating frozen bagels but the easiest is to pop your plain bagels in a toaster.
Most toasters nowadays are also designed for warming breads like bagels and others even have a special setting for reheating bagels so it will be easier for you. In case your toaster is not designed this way, you can simply toast the bagel twice and you will still get the same warm bagel fit for a meal.
If you will reheat bagels with toppings, it is best to warm them in your oven or microwave. You can warm bagels for 15 to 30 seconds in your oven or microwave depending on how frozen it is.
Some suggests cutting your bagels into two before reheating it so it will be heated easily including its core.
No matter how you want to reheat your bagels, I believe you know what is best for your bagel so our tips could just be your easiest guide.
Related Questions
Have your bagels in different ways or how you want it, soft or toasted, plain or topped, bagel will always be best.
We hope you find our article helpful and enlightening. We also wanted to give you more, so here are some takeaway information for you.
Can I Freeze Bagel Dough?
Dough can be frozen for four months and will remain best for baking or cooking. So, if you have extra bagel dough, it is okay to freeze them. However, you need to give bagel dough some setting time before totally freezing it.
How Can I Quickly Thaw Frozen Bagel?
Frozen bagels can thaw at room temperature exquisitely and thawing a frozen bagel will take 20 to 30 minutes depending on how frozen the bagel is.
It is also a good technique to let the bagel thaw slowly while inside the fridge overnight if you plan on cooking it in the morning.
Are Bagels Unhealthy?
Although bagels are not considered to be completely healthy because it is rich in simple carbohydrates and has no or less fibers, it is not that unhealthy. For those who are watching they carbohydrates intake, bagels are not recommended. Nevertheless, you can choose a healthier bagel by having the low-carbs bagels.
How can I make my bagel healthy?
Bagels are typically carbohydrates, but you could make it healthier depending on the toppings you add on it. It is also good if you can make your own bagels at home so you can enhance the ingredients to make it healthier.
For example, make a whole wheat bagel so it will be rich in fiber and it will be good for the digestive system. Add sesame seed toppings and other nuts on your bagel will also make it healthier and not just pure carbohydrates.
Is it okay to eat bagels every day?
Whole wheat bagels are good for everyday intake but not the refined carbs bagels. Refined carbs or simple carbohydrates can turn to fats in our body and increase the risk of diabetes and heart related diseases.
What is on an Everything Bagel?
A bagel with different toppings on it’s usually called an Everything Bagel. It simply means there is more than one topping on your bagel so you can enjoy a burst of different taste when you eat this bagel. You can make your own everything bagel by topping it with an ample amount of all the kinds of toppings you want on your bagel.
