Welcome back to Crispy on the Outside, the only food blog where we judge bagels on texture, not whether they pair with an overpriced schmear. Today, we enter the carb arena with cinnamon bagels — crusty on the outside, tender on the inside, and emotionally complex like a bad first date.
Let’s be clear: if your bagel doesn’t fight back a little when you bite into it, it’s just circular bread. We want chew. We want resistance. We want that browned exterior to whisper, “you’re not my first bite.”
Most recipes call for a teaspoon or two of cinnamon. Throughout my life I’ve tried in vain to overuse this spice. Don’t be a wuss, very few died from the cinnamon challenge and you’ll likely survive a spicy bagel.
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 1 ½ cups warm water (like a hot bath, not a scalding lawsuit)
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 3 tbsp brown sugar (for flavor and plausible nutrition)
- 4 cups bread flour (because all-purpose is for softies)
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon (and yes, you can add a pinch of nutmeg if you’re feeling bold)
- 1 ½ tsp salt
For Boiling:
- 2 quarts water
- 1 tbsp brown sugar (makes the crust shiny and smug)
Optional Add-ons:
- Raisins, because you’re that kind of person
- Cinnamon sugar topping, for when you’ve given up on moderation
Instructions
Step 1: Dough of Destiny
- Combine warm water, yeast, and brown sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes until it gets foamy and self-important.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, and salt. Mix in the yeast mixture. Knead until smooth and slightly elastic — like your life before taxes.
- Add cinnamon and kneed another minute. This will lend a stripe to your pastry, and accolades from your starving audience.
- Place dough in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size and judgment.
Step 2: Shape Your Future
- Punch down the dough like it owes you money. Divide into 8 equal pieces.
- Roll each into a ball, poke a hole through the center, and stretch into a bagel shape. Not too thin. We’re not making onion rings.
- Let the bagels rest 10 minutes while you contemplate life or preheat your oven to 425°F.
Step 3: Boil to Impress
- Boil water with a splash of brown sugar. Drop bagels in, 2 or 3 at a time, for 30 seconds per side.
- They should puff up like your ego after parallel parking perfectly.
Step 4: Bake ‘Til Beautiful
- Place boiled bagels on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Add cinnamon sugar topping if desired. Live a little.
- Bake 20–25 minutes until the exterior is golden brown and crusty enough to be mildly confrontational.
Texture Analysis
These bagels should offer a crisp outer shell that resists your teeth just long enough to assert dominance, followed by a soft, chewy interior that tastes like a hug from a cinnamon-scented lumberjack. If your bagel is soft all the way through, congratulations — you made a dinner roll with a hole. Try again.
Serve With:
- Butter (classic)
- Cream cheese (basic, but dependable)
- A sense of pride and slight jaw fatigue
Now you, too, can experience the thrill of wrestling cinnamon bagels into existence. It’s like baking, but with texture and attitude.