Learn how to make delicious homemade cinnamon raisin bagels with this easy-to-follow recipe, perfect for breakfast or a snack. These bagels are chewy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and bursting with the sweet and spicy flavors of cinnamon and juicy raisins.
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Cinnamon Raisin Bagels
I had a bunch of raisins left from my raisin yeast water recipe and some wild yeast sourdough discard, and wanted to put them to good use so decided to make some cinnamon raisin bagels! When coming up with this recipe, it took me 4-5 tries to get them right because kept getting denser than usual bagels. After some research realized cinnamon inhibits yeast to make dough rise so switched up the method a bit to make them rise more but still contain that cinnamon flavour.
Ingredients
Just 6 ingredients needed to make cinnamon raisin bagels (+ water).
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar not only adds sweetness but also contributes to the flavor and color of the bagels. The molasses in brown sugar helps retain moisture in the dough, keeping the bagels soft inside.
- Dry Yeast: Yeast is a leavening agent that ferments the sugars in the dough, producing carbon dioxide and causing the dough to rise. This results in a light and airy texture in the final bagels.
- Bread Flour: Bread flour is high in protein, which is crucial for developing strong gluten. This gives the bagels their characteristic chewiness and structure.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon provides the signature warm and spicy flavor that complements the sweetness of the raisins. It enhances the overall taste of the bagels.
- Salt: Salt regulates yeast activity and enhances the flavor of the bagels. It also strengthens the gluten structure, improving the dough’s elasticity and texture.
- Raisins: Raisins add bursts of sweetness and a chewy texture to the bagels. Soaking them in water plumps them up, preventing them from drawing moisture out of the dough during baking.
- Optional Sourdough Discard: Sourdough discard can be added for additional flavor complexity and a slight tanginess. It can also help improve the texture of the bagels, making them chewier and giving them a unique artisanal quality.
How to Make
Cinnamon raisins bagels are really easy to make and can be prepped ahead of time to have all week long!
- Dough Preparation: Combine water, brown sugar, and yeast. Add bread flour, cinnamon, and salt to the mixture, forming a dough. Incorporate soaked raisins.
- Kneading: Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic.
- Proofing: Let the dough rise in the fridge for 8+ hours.
- Shaping: Divide and shape the dough into bagels, ensuring an even distribution of raisins.
- Boiling: Boil the shaped bagels briefly to set their structure and create a chewy crust.
- Baking: Bake until the bagels are golden brown and fully cooked.
Lisa’s Recipe Tips
- Cinnamon: Don’t add too much cinnamon to the bagel dough if you want a soft and fluffy texture. Cinnamon inhibits the yeast from doing it’s job of rising dough which is why I recommend adding the cinnamon when rolling the dough for a stronger cinnamon flavour. Adding more cinnamon does still some-what work, you just get more of a dense and chewy bagel.
- Use a scale: Use a scale to weigh out the ingredients for best results. I can’t guarantee the recipe will come out the same as mine if using cups as everyone measures their ingredients slightly differently.
- Soak the raisins: Soaking dried fruit before adding them to your bagels gives you plump juicy raisins! You can also use leftover raisins from raisin yeast water.
Serving Suggestions
I’ve eaten so many Cinnamon Raisin Bagels when testing this recipe, here are some of my favourites:
- Classic Cream Cheese: Spread plain or flavored cream cheese (like honey walnut or strawberry) on a toasted cinnamon raisin bagel.
- Butter and Honey: Add a pat of butter and a drizzle of honey for a simple, sweet treat.
- Nut Butter: Spread almond butter, peanut butter, or cashew butter. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon or a few slices of banana for extra flavor.
- Apple, cheese and ham sandwich: Add some honey mustard to the base, chicken ham (tori ham), apples and brie cheese. Torch the cheese to make it extra melty!
- Egg and Cheese: Make a breakfast sandwich with a fried or scrambled egg and a slice of cheese.
- French Toast Bagel: Dip in a mixture of egg, milk, and cinnamon, then cook on a griddle like French toast. Serve with syrup and fresh fruit.
- Ice Cream Sandwich: For a dessert twist, slice the bagel in half and fill with a scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream. Drizzle with caramel sauce.
How to Store Bagels
Check out my post on the best way to store and keep bagels fresh.
Enjoy!! If you make this Cinnamon Raisin Bagels recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rating and if you decide to share it on socials, tag me on instagram @Okonomikitchen. I’d love to hear from you!
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Cinnamon Raisin Bagels
Description
Learn how to make delicious homemade cinnamon raisin bagels with this easy-to-follow recipe, perfect for breakfast or a snack. These bagels are chewy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and bursting with the sweet and spicy flavors of cinnamon and juicy raisins.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Commercial Yeast Version
- 3/4 cup + 3 tbsp (238 ml) water
- 2 1/2 tbsp (30 g) packed brown sugar
- 2/3 tsp (3.5 g) dry yeast (0.8%)
- 3 cups + 1 tbsp + 1/2 tbsp (432 g) bread flour
- 1/2 tsp (2 g) cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp (8 g) salt
- 1/3 cup (65 g) raisins, soaked in water
Sourdough Discard Version
- 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp (112 g) sourdough discard
- 3/4 cup (183 ml) water
- 2 1/2 tbsp (30 g) packed brown sugar
- 2/3 tsp (3.5 g) dry yeast (0.8%)
- 2 1/2 cup + 3 tbsp (375 g) bread flour
- 1/2 tsp (2 g) cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp (8 g) salt
- 1/3 cup (65 g) raisins, soaked in water
Instructions
- Make the dough: Add all the ingredients except the raisins in the order listed to a bowl of a standmix, bread machine or bowl. If using discard, mix the water with it first. Knead until a rough ball forms. Pat the raisins dry and then knead it into the dough. Form a smoothish dough. A bread machine will take about 18 minutes, standmix about 8 minutes on low speed and hand kneading about 16 minutes. (For an in-depth detail on how to knead bagel dough check out my Japanese bagel recipe). Place it into a large tupperware and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then refrigerate overnight or for 12+ hours.
- Divide: The next day take it out of the fridge and let it come down to about 17 C / 62 F. Divide the dough into 6 pieces, about 125 grams each. Flatten the piece of dough with the base of your wrist and sprinkle a little cinnamon in the middle. Roughly shape into a log and rest for 20 minutes to allow the dough to relax.
- Roll out the dough, about 15 x 18 cm / 6 x 7 inch in length and then starting from the top, roll down and use the base of your palm to press down on the dough to keep the roll tight. Pinch the seams to secure. Repeat with all pieces and keep them covered with a damp cloth.
- Return to the first piece and shape the bagel (it should have rested for at least 5 minutes). With the seam facing up, press one edge of the dough to flatten it with your palm or roller. Bring the other end to the flattened side and wrap, pinching the dough tightly to secure. Place on a piece of parchment paper. Keep the pieces covered with a damp paper towel.
- Secondary proof: Proof for 20-30 minutes or until it begins to look puffy. Towards the end, start pre-heating the oven to 232 C / 450 F.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add 2 L to a pot with 1 tbsp of sugar and 1 tsp baking soda*. Once boiling (or temperature of 85 C / 185 C) boil for 10-30 seconds on each side. The longer you boil, the chewier the exterior. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bagels and transfer to a prepared baking tray. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until deep golden brown.
- Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- I’ve given the measurements in cups but I HIGHLY recommend using a scale to weigh out the ingredients for accurate and consistent results.
- *the baking soda and sugar can be substituted for malt syrup, molasses or just sugar.
