This 2-Ingredient Bagel Recipe Is Impossible to Mess Up (and Surprisingly Tasty)

Yes, these two-ingredient bagels are lower in calories than the real thing due to their small size (so if you’re on a diet and missing your morning egg-and-cheese, this is a tasty compromise). But they’re also quicker to make—forget about waiting for yeast to do its thing or for the dough to rest. It’s also a pretty cheap recipe, considering there are only two main ingredients (Greek yogurt and self-rising flour) that will last you multiple batches.

How does this recipe work, you ask? Self-rising flour has a secret ingredient that helps dough rise: baking powder. It reacts with the acidity of the yogurt to create carbon dioxide, which gives the bagels the lift they need without the help of yeast. There's also salt in self-rising flour, which offers flavor and controls the leavening power of the baking powder. The yogurt also keeps the bagels dependably moist.

While these aren’t identical to bagel shop bagels (they’re smaller, slightly drier and denser), they’re still soft and doughy fresh from the oven and can hit the spot in a pinch. They have a tangy, sourdough-like taste and smell, thanks to the yogurt. And, like anything from scratch, you get to choose the toppings.

Everything bagel seasoning is a natural starting point, but sesame seeds, dried garlic, coarse salt, cinnamon sugar, poppy seeds or oats are solid alternatives. If you want to get *really* fancy, add cinnamon and raisins, sliced jalapeños, cheddar cheese, blueberries or chocolate chips to the dough.

• Yield: 4 mini bagels
• Prep Time: 10 min
• Cook Time: 20 min

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1 cup self-rising flour, plus more for kneading
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (fat-free works, too)
• 1 egg or egg white (optional)
• Toppings of your choice (optional; I used a sea lettuce finishing salt by Simply Organic)

Directions

• Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place parchment paper or aluminum foil on a rimmed baking sheet. Grease it lightly with cooking spray. 
• Step 2: Combine the flour and yogurt in a large bowl. Mix it with a silicone spatula until it forms a clumpy dough.
• Step 3: Flour a countertop or table and dump the dough onto it. Knead the dough with your hands until it’s smooth and stretchy. If the dough is too sticky, dust it with flour.
• Step 4: Split the dough evenly into four pieces. Mold each piece into a ball, then poke a hole in the center. (I like to use the thick end of a chopstick.) Stretch each ring until the bagels are even and uniform.
• Step 5: Place the rings on the prepared baking sheet. If using, crack the egg into a small bowl and whisk it with 1 tablespoon of cold water until smooth. Brush each bagel with the egg wash. Add your desired toppings to the bagels.
• Step 6: Bake the bagels until they’re slightly puffed and dry around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes, then rotate each bagel on the baking sheet.
• Step 7: Bake until golden brown all over, 8 to 10 minutes more. If desired, brown the tops of the bagels even further by popping them under the broiler for about 3 minutes.

Once they’ve cooled, slice them and spread on some cream cheese, PB&J, tuna salad or whatever other toppings and condiments you love. Don’t let them cool too long, though—nothing beats a hot, fresh bagel, right?