Defrosting and Baking the Bagel
Defrost the bagel at room temperature for 2-3 hours. If the bagel was individually wrapped before it went into the freezer, leave it in its wrap while it is defrosting. If it wasn’t, wrap it in plastic wrap or aluminum foil when you take it out of the freezer to help it retain its moisture level while it’s defrosting. You could also let the bagel defrost overnight, which could especially come in handy if you want to eat a bagel first thing in the morning.Tip: If you’re in a rush or forgot to defrost your bagel, don’t worry! Forego baking the bagel and pop it straight into the toaster from the freezer instead.
Preheat your oven to 400 °F (204 °C) 10-15 minutes before you’re ready to eat. Once your bagel is defrosted, turn on your oven and set it to the appropriate temperature. Give the oven 5-10 minutes to fully preheat. If you prefer a less-crispy exterior, set the oven to 350 °F (177 °C) instead of 400 °F (204 °C). For an extra-crispy bagel, set the oven to 420 °F (216 °C).
Sprinkle the exterior of the bagel with water. Wet the tips of your fingers and flick the water onto the sides of the bagel. Repeat 2-3 times so that each side is even. This will create a little bit of steam in the oven and give your bagel a crispier crust. If the bagel is already sliced, it’s okay if some water gets onto the interior of the bagel—it won’t hurt anything.
Cut the bagel in half if it isn’t already sliced. Use a serrated knife or a mechanical slicer to halve the bagel. If you’re using a knife, place the bagel flat on the countertop and cut horizontally through the middle of the bagel. If you’re using a slicer, simply insert the bagel and push down on the blade’s handle. Be careful when slicing the bagel that you don’t accidentally cut your hand.
Place the bagel on a baking sheet with the sliced sides facing up. Position the bagel halves so that the interior of the bagel is facing up so that the heat from the oven will cook it more evenly. Keep the exterior of the bagel against the baking sheet so it gets crispier. You can also bake bagels whole if you prefer. Just keep in mind that the interior of the bagel won’t get crispy and browned at all.
Bake the bagel in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Every oven bakes things at a slightly different rate, so check the bagel after 10 minutes to see if it is done yet. If it doesn’t have much color on the top, cook it for an additional 5 minutes. It is done when it’s lightly browned on top, though feel free to cook it for longer if you prefer a toastier bagel. If you’re baking an unsliced bagel, it should still need just 10-15 minutes to bake on the outside and heat all the way through.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the bagel cool down. Use oven mitts to safely remove the baking sheet and set it down on a protected surface. Give the bagel 3-4 minutes to cool off before you pick it up and add your toppings of choice. Don’t forget to turn off the oven when you’re done using it.
Toasting the Bagel
Take a bagel out of the freezer and unwrap it. If you wrapped the bagel individually before freezing it, simply pull one out of the freezer and discard its wrapper. If it was frozen along with other bagels, open the container, take one out, and reseal the container before placing the rest of the bagels back into the freezer. If you can’t bake a bagel, toasting it is the next best option. It’ll crisp up the exterior and hopefully leave the interior nice and chewy.
Put the bagel into the toaster and set it to the desired level of doneness. Some toasters even have bagel-specific settings that you can use. Keep in mind that you can always toast a bagel more, but if it is overdone you can’t make it less toasted. Every toaster is different, so use your best judgment when deciding what setting to use. It should be a bit higher than what you would use for toast since the bagel is thicker than sliced bread.Using a Toaster Oven: If you don’t have a toaster or prefer to use a toaster oven, the steps are basically the same. Just insert the oven rack into the middle position and put your bagel on it with the sliced sides facing up. Choose how done you want your bagel to be, and start the toaster oven.
Use your favorite bagel toppings to create a satisfying meal or snack. Once the bagel is done, remove it from the toaster and set it on a plate. It’ll be really hot, so be careful to not burn your fingers. Try out some of these great bagel toppings: Cream cheese (plain or flavored) Peanut butter Nutella Egg Smoked salmon and capers Pizza sauce and cheese Smashed avocado
Microwaving the Bagel
Pull a bagel out of the freezer. If the bagel was wrapped individually, take it out of its wrap and throw it away. If it was stored in bulk with other bagels, take it out and rewrap the rest of the bagels before replacing them in the freezer. Microwaving a bagel is a good way to quickly heat it up straight from the freezer. Keep in mind that it won’t produce a crispy exterior, though. If you do want that crispy outside, opt for the toaster or bake the bagel in the oven.
Sprinkle warm water onto the bagel. It may seem counterintuitive, but adding some water to the bagel will keep it from drying out too much in the microwave. If the bagel is pre-sliced, keep it whole during this step. Dip your fingers in warm water and flick it all over the exterior of the bagel. You could also wrap the bagel in a moistened paper towel for an even chewier bagel. Leave the paper towel in place while the bagel is in the microwave.
Put the bagel on a microwave-safe dish. Separate the bagel halves and put them face-side up on a plate. If you choose to not use a plate or dish, set them on top of a paper towel in the microwave to keep them from sticking to the surface. If the bagel is unsliced, you could either slice it before you microwave it or wait until afterward.
Microwave the bagel in 20-second increments until it is cooked through. The total cooking time depends on your microwave, but it usually takes about 1 minute and 15 seconds to 2 minutes to thoroughly cook through. Test how done it is by poking the doughy section with your finger—if the bagel still feels cold or hard, it’s not done yet. Be careful when taking the plate out of the microwave as it may be hot to the touch.
Freezing Bagels Properly
Slice bagels before freezing them so they’re ready to eat at any time. Use a serrated bread knife or purchase a mechanical slicer to make separating bagels a quick and easy task.Tip: If you are slicing multiple flavors of bagels, wipe down the knife or slicer between each kind so the flavors don’t transfer to one another. You don’t want the remnants of an onion bagel infiltrating a blueberry bagel!
Wrap bagels individually in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Wrapping the bagels individually before freezing them prevents freezer burn, which is a surefire way to ruin the flavor of the bagels. Use enough material to fully cover the entire bagel. Freezing the bagels removes moisture from them. Wrapping them up will help them retain a bit more moisture than they would if you froze them all together.
Place all the bagels into a freezer-safe resealable plastic bag. Once the bagels have been wrapped individually, you can store them all together in the same big plastic bag. Just make sure to use a bag that is resealable and preferably made for use in the freezer. If there are too many bagels and you can’t seal the plastic bag, separate the bagels into 2 or 3 packages.
Store bagels in the freezer for 6-12 months for the best quality of taste. Ideally, try to use the bagels within the first week of freezing them for the freshest taste. But if you need or want to store them for longer, go for it! This is a great way to store bagels that you buy or make in bulk. Label the bag with the “frozen on” date so that you remember how long they’ve been in storage. Discard any bagels that are discolored or develop freezer burn. Technically, the bagel will still be safe to eat as long as it has been frozen properly, but it probably won’t taste very good anymore.
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