Lemon Poppy Seed Bagels (Printable)

Fluffy bagels brightened with lemon zest, poppy seeds, and a light citrus glaze for a tasty start or snack.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups bread flour
02 - 1 cup vanilla or unflavored whey protein powder
03 - 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
04 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
06 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
07 - Zest of 2 lemons

→ Wet Ingredients

08 - 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, non-fat or low-fat
09 - 1 large egg
10 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
11 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

→ For Boiling

12 - 2 quarts water
13 - 1 tablespoon honey

→ Egg Wash

14 - 1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water

→ Light Lemon Glaze

15 - 3/4 cup powdered sugar
16 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
17 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together bread flour, protein powder, poppy seeds, baking powder, salt, sugar, and lemon zest until evenly distributed.
03 - In a separate bowl, stir together Greek yogurt, egg, lemon juice, and melted butter until smooth and well combined.
04 - Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon, then knead by hand until a soft, slightly tacky dough forms, approximately 2 to 4 minutes. Adjust consistency by adding yogurt if too dry or flour if too sticky.
05 - Divide dough into 8 equal portions. Roll each into a ball, poke a hole in the center, and gently stretch to form a bagel shape with a 1 to 2-inch hole.
06 - Arrange bagels on the prepared baking sheet. Cover loosely with a clean towel and let rest for 15 minutes at room temperature.
07 - In a large pot, bring water and honey to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.
08 - Reduce heat to a simmer. Boil bagels in batches for 30 seconds per side. Remove with a slotted spoon, allowing excess water to drip off, and return to baking sheet.
09 - Brush each boiled bagel with egg wash to create a golden finish.
10 - Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a wire cooling rack.
11 - While bagels cool, whisk together powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth and pourable.
12 - Drizzle lemon glaze over cooled bagels. Allow glaze to set completely before serving, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • These bagels deliver real protein without tasting like a protein shake, which genuinely surprised me the first time.
  • The lemon glaze is tangy enough to feel special but not so sweet that it overshadows the subtle citrus throughout the dough.
  • They freeze beautifully, so you can make a batch on Sunday and have guilt-free breakfast ready all week long.
02 -
  • Boil time is everything: go longer than 60 seconds per side and your bagels will be dense and gummy, shorter than that and they won't have the right chew.
  • Don't skip the cooling step before glazing or your glaze will slide off like a failed experiment, which I discovered at 6 a.m. on a Saturday.
  • The dough consistency matters more than exact measurements; if your kitchen is humid, you might need less liquid, and if it's dry, you might need slightly more.
03 -
  • Keep your lemon juice and zest separate until you're actually using them, because the acidity in juice can start breaking down the zest oils if they sit together too long.
  • If your dough seems impossibly sticky, chill it in the fridge for 15 minutes before shaping; cold dough is dramatically easier to work with and still creates perfectly fluffy bagels.
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