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Homemade Cinnamon Crunch Bagels

These homemade cinnamon crunch bagels are the ultimate breakfast treat—with a crisp streusel topping, swirls of cinnamon chips, and a perfectly chewy crust, they're best served toasted with a smear of cream cheese!
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Course: Breads, Breakfast
12 hours
Servings: 11 bagels
Author: Mae Martin

Ingredients

For the bagels

  • 4 ¾ cups (660g) bread flour
  • 4 teaspoons (12g) Diamond crystal kosher salt or 2 teaspoons Morton's salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 ⅓ cups lukewarm water
  • 1 tablespoon barley malt syrup or honey
  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup cinnamon chips
  • ½ cup white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate

For boiling and baking

  • 2-3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

For the cinnamon crunch topping

  • 1 large egg white
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 ½ tablespoons cold cubed butter
  • Pinch salt and vanilla
  • Turbinado sugar and flaky salt (optional, for extra crunch)

Instructions

  • Make the bagel dough. To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the 4 ¾ cups bread flour, 4 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon and stir until combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and set aside.
  • In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the 1 ⅓ cups warm water, 1 tablespoon barley malt syrup, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast.
  • Once homogeneous, pour the water mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until a shaggy dough forms. At this point, add in the 1 cup of cinnamon chips and ½ cup of white chocolate.
  • Knead the mixture with the dough hook attachment for around 10 minutes, until the flour goes from a shaggy mixture into a smooth dough that springs back when poked. The bagel dough will be stiff, but you can add extra flour or water as needed to get the right consistency.
  • Proof. Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl and let it rest, covered, for 1 to 2 hours or until almost doubled in size. Since the dough includes heavy additions like chocolate and cinnamon, it may rise slower than normal.
  • Preshaping. Once proofed, gently press the dough down and turn it onto a work surface. Use a knife or bench scraper to divide it into 10 to 11 equal pieces (around 110 to 120 grams, if using a kitchen scale).
  • To shape the bagels, take a piece of dough and pinch all of the edges into a teardrop shape. Place the dough seam side down onto the counter and form it into a ball; cup your hand over the dough and rotate it in a rapid circle, using the counter to tighten the surface tension to form a ball. Repeat with the remaining pieces, then cover them with a damp towel and rest for 5 minutes.
  • Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Shaping. To shape the bagels, take a ball of dough and use your fingers to poke a hole through the center (add flour as needed if the dough is sticky). Gently stretch and roll the bagel until the center is around 1 to 1 ½'' in diameter. Repeat with the remaining bagels.
  • Once shaped, evenly space the bagels onto the prepared baking sheets and cover with a layer of cling wrap. Cover each tray with a damp towel, then refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours.
  • Boiling. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425℉ and remove the tray of bagels from the fridge.
  • To test if the bagels are ready to boil, fill a bowl with room temperature water and gently place a bagel into the water. If the dough relatively floats, it is ready to bake (it may not fully float since the dough includes heavy additions). If it sinks, it needs to rest for longer.
  • Fill a large pot or Dutch oven with 2 quarts of water and bring to a boil on the stove. Whisk in the honey and baking soda (be careful, as it may boil over).
  • While the water boils, make the cinnamon crunch topping. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, cornstarch, and salt until combined, then add in the cubed butter and vanilla.
  • Using your hands or a fork, pinch and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until evenly incorporated and a crumbly streusel forms. Set aside.
  • Once the water is bubbling, reduce the heat to a gentle boil. Gently drop the bagels into the water in batches, leaving enough room for them to expand, then cook for 1 minute. Flip the bagels over and boil for another minute, then remove from the water and place onto a wire rack to cool.
  • Once all the bagels are boiled, place them onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  • Top and bake. To make the egg wash, whisk together the egg white with 1 tablespoon of water. Using a pastry brush, evenly coat each bagel with the egg wash and generously sprinkle over the prepared cinnamon crunch topping, pressing to adhere. If desired, sprinkle turbinado sugar and flaky salt over each bagel for extra crunch.
  • Bake the bagels for 18 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown and fully cooked, rotating the tray halfway through. Once baked, remove the tray from the oven.
  • Allow the bagels to cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving.