Strawberry bagels are a special kind of bagel that taste like strawberries. They are pink and have a sweet flavor. These bagels are made with fresh berries and are a nice treat for breakfast or a snack. They are chewy and a little sweet, and you can eat them with cream cheese or toast them lightly. Making these bagels might take some planning, but they are really tasty and worth it!
Strawberry Bagels Ingredients
Strawberries: They are the main flavoring ingredient for the bagels, providing a fruity and sweet taste.
Meyer Lemon (zested and juiced): Adding a citrusy flavor to the bagels, it enhances the strawberry taste and provides a tangy note.
Brown Sugar (divided): It provides sweetness and helps to caramelize the strawberries during the baking process, adding depth of flavor to the bagels.
Lukewarm Water: This is used to activate the yeast, which is essential for the dough to rise and become light and airy.
Active Dry Yeast: As the leavening agent, it causes the dough to rise and become fluffy.
Unbleached All-Purpose Flour: This is the base ingredient for the bagel dough, providing structure and texture.
Kosher Salt: It enhances the flavors of the other ingredients and balances the sweetness of the strawberries and brown sugar.
Water: Used in the boiling process before baking to give the bagels a shiny, chewy crust.
Granulated Sugar: Added to the boiling water to help caramelize the outside of the bagels and create a crispy crust.
How To Make Strawberry Bagels
First, I diced about 2 cups of fresh berries and mixed them with lemon zest, juice and brown sugar. Occasionally mashing the strawberries released their flavors.
While they macerated, I added water to my stand mixer bowl. Sprinkling the yeast and pinch of sugar over top, I let it proof for 10 minutes until bubbly.
Once activated, I incorporated the strawberry mixture, flour and salt into the yeast. Kneading formed a soft dough that wasn’t too sticky.
I covered the dough and let it rise until doubled in size, which took about an hour. This step is important for proper texture.
Once puffy, I punched it down and divided it into balls. Shaping them smooth, I covered to relax 20 minutes.
Next, the water bath! I gently simmered the dough balls just a few at a time. What an amazing aroma filled my kitchen.
Baked to golden brown, the finished focaccia had a lovely chew. Cutting into it revealed the gorgeous pink berry filling.
More Strawberry Desserts
- Strawberry Crunch Cupcakes
- Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake Cones
- Strawberry Float Cake
- Strawberry Coconut Cake
Strawberry Bagels
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound strawberries
- 1/2 Meyer lemon, zested
- 1/2 tsp Meyer lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tbsp + a pinch brown sugar, divided
- 2 tbsp lukewarm water
- 1 1/8 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for shaping
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Water Bath
- 1 quart water
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
Instructions
- First, dice about 2 cups of fresh strawberries into small pieces. In a mixing bowl, combine the strawberries with lemon zest, lemon juice and brown sugar. Stir the mixture occasionally and mash the solids with the back of a spoon or potato masher to extract the juices from the berries. Set aside.
- Next, add water to the bowl of a stand electric mixer. Sprinkle the yeast and a pinch of brown sugar over the water's surface and stir to combine. Let it sit for 10 minutes until bubbles appear, indicating the yeast is activated.
- Once activated, add the macerated berries, one cup of flour and salt to the yeast mixture. Use the paddle attachment or a wooden spoon to blend everything together well. Then gradually mix in the remaining flour until a thick, tacky dough forms that cleans the sides of the bowl. Change to the dough hook and knead for about 5 minutes.
- Grease a large mixing bowl with oil. Transfer the kneaded dough to the bowl and coat it evenly with additional oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 to 1.5 hours until doubled in size.
- Once risen, turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and divide into 12 equal portions. Shape each portion into a smooth, tight ball, pinching the bottom seams. Place the balls on a tray covered with plastic wrap and let rest for 20-30 minutes.
- While resting, heat water and sugars in a large pot to a gentle boil. Grease two baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat oven to 425°F.
- Working with one ball at a time, poke a hole through the center and stretch into a 1-inch diameter ring. Cook batches of 4 bagels each for 2 minutes per side in the simmering water. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely before serving.