You're 2 Ingredients Away From Making Bagels At Home

When you get the hankering for a good bagel, there's no need to start a hunt for the best bakery in town. You can just whip some up at home! That may sound like a tall order for the not so culinarily inclined. But would you believe us if we said you only needed two ingredients? While a classic New York bagel might contain more than that, with Mashed recipe developer Susan Olayinka's two-ingredient bagel recipe, you can scratch that cream cheese-coated itch in no time.

If you aren't counting all of the yummy things you would like to pile atop your bagel, the only two ingredients you will need for Olayinka's bagels are self-rising flour and Greek yogurt (a plant-based yogurt can be swapped out for those with dietary restrictions). "If you don't have self-raising flour, there's no need to run out to the grocery store and grab some," Olayinka explains. "Self-raising flour is simply basic flour, with baking powder and salt added in."

While most bagel recipes use water to bind the dry ingredients together, Mashed recipe developer Susan Olayinka's two-ingredient bagel recipe takes advantage of the moisture in the Greek yogurt to turn that self-rising flour into dough. "Make sure the mixture is not too sticky or dry," Olayinka says. "If it's too sticky, add some more flour, just a little bit at a time." Conversely, dry or crumbly dough can be remedied with a touch more yogurt, she points out.

Once the dough is shaped into rings, you can put the bagels in the oven just as they are for a lovely plain bagel. However, with just a couple more ingredients you can really gussy those guys up! "You can also coat each of them with egg wash to give them a shiny finish," Olayinka says. She also recommends adding a smattering of seasonings if that's your kind of thing. Sesame seeds or onion flakes are an easy way to add a pop of flavor. "But [the bagels] are just as tasty without those extra touches," Olayinka insists.

Because the bagels contain dairy, you may wonder how best to store them. "I found these go hard quickly," Olayinka told Mashed, "So store [them] in an airtight container or a bread bin – not in the fridge." In an airtight container, the bagels should remain fresh for up to 24 hours, she notes, so you better get smearing!