Everything Bagel Bread

If you love the flavors of an everything bagel, you’re going to adore this homemade everything bagel bread. It’s the perfect blend of a soft, buttery loaf with the savory, familiar crunch of seeds, salt and onion. The braiding process is easier than you might think based on the polished appearance of the finished loaf, and the result is a stunning bread that looks like it came from an artisan bakery. Whether you’re making this bread to elevate a weekend brunch, impress friends with a dinner party appetizer or enjoy alongside your favorite soup, this bread is sure to become a favorite in your recipe rotation. Practice this one a few times, and soon, you’ll be ready to try your hand at a dozen more homemade bread recipes!

Ingredients for Everything Bagel Bread

• Active dry yeast: This leavening agent causes the dough to rise by digesting the sugars present in the flour, which produces carbon dioxide and creates the bread’s airy structure.
• Warm water: The warm water provides the necessary environment for the yeast to activate, helping it to begin the fermentation process.
• Warm 2% milk: The milk adds moisture and richness to the dough, creating a softer, tender crumb in the finished bread.
• Butter: Adding a little softened butter to the dough enhances the bread’s flavor while contributing to a tender texture.
• Sugar: A little sugar feeds the yeast, kick-starting fermentation while adding a subtle sweetness to the dough.
• Egg yolk: A little egg yolk contributes richness and fat, improving the bread’s texture and giving it a slight golden color. You’ll want to start out with a room-temperature egg.
• All-purpose flour: The base for the bread is versatile all-purpose flour. When mixed with water, the gluten in the flour activates and creates a strong, elastic dough that provides structure to the finished bread.
• Egg white and water: An egg white wash acts as a glaze, helping the toppings stick to the surface of the dough and creating a shiny, golden crust when baked.
• Coarse sea salt or kosher salt: The salt adds a crunchy texture to the crust and boosts the bread’s savory flavor.
• Dried minced onion plus sesame, caraway and poppy seeds: Onion and a mixture of seeds add texture, flavor and visual appeal to the bread’s crust, creating the signature “everything bagel” look and taste.

Directions

Step 1: Mix the dough

TASTE OF HOME

In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the milk, softened butter, sugar, egg yolk, salt and 2 cups of the flour. Stir or beat the mixture on medium speed for three minutes. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to form a firm dough.

Step 2: Knead the dough, let it rise

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead it until it’s smooth and elastic, six to eight minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning it once to grease the top. Cover the dough and let it rise until doubled, about one hour.

Step 3: Shape the dough, let it rise again

TASTE OF HOME

Punch down the dough. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and using a chef’s knife or a bench scraper, divide the dough into thirds. Shape each piece into a 20-inch rope.

TASTE OF HOME

Place all three ropes on a large greased baking sheet and braid them together, then pinch the ends to seal them, and tuck them underneath. Cover the dough and let it rise again until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Step 4: Sprinkle with seasonings and bake

TASTE OF HOME

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Whisk the egg white and water together until combined, and brush the mixture over the dough. Combine the salt, onion and the three seeds, then sprinkle the mixture over the bread. Bake for 22 to 28 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the bread from the pan to a wire rack to cool.

Editor’s Tip: You can double or triple (or more) the seed mixture to use as an all-purpose everything bagel seasoning. It’s great sprinkled on hard-cooked eggs, sliced cucumbers or avocado toast.

DAN ROBERTS FOR TASTE OF HOME

Everything Bagel Bread Variations

• Make everything bagel rolls: Instead of forming the dough into a braid, divide it into 12 to 16 balls to make rolls. Enjoy them spread with butter as dinner rolls, or use them to make tasty smoked salmon salad sandwiches.
• Try sesame bread: Instead of the everything bagel mixture, top the bread exclusively with a mixture of one part black sesame seeds to two parts white sesame seeds for a delicious sesame-seeded bread inspired by a different kind of bagel.
• Make it a pretzel bread: Before baking, par-boil the loaf in a baking soda bath to make everything bagel pretzel bread.
• Give it some whole grain goodness: Substitute up to a cup of the all-purpose flour in the recipe with whole wheat flour to give the finished loaf a nuttier taste, more fiber and more nutritional value.

How to Store Everything Bagel Bread

Store cooled everything bagel bread at room temperature in a paper bag or a bread box for up to three days. For longer storage, you can freeze it.

How should you freeze everything bagel bread?

We recommend freezing bread if you’re going to store it for longer than a few days. Wait until the bread has cooled completely, then wrap it (or part of the loaf) tightly in a freezer bag. When you’re ready to enjoy it, bring it to room temperature and let it defrost.

Everything Bagel Bread Tips

DAN ROBERTS FOR TASTE OF HOME

How do you know when bread is done baking?

Bread is typically done when it’s golden brown and produces a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom. Another way to tell that bread is done is by using a digital probe-style thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf. You’ll know it’s done when the temperature reaches about 190°.

Can you use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour to make everything bagel bread?

Yes, you can substitute some of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for a heartier bread. Generally, you can replace up to a third of the all-purpose flour in a bread recipe with whole wheat flour without impacting the texture of a bread. More than that, and your bread may be more dense, but it’s a trade-off for the nutritional benefits of whole wheat. Do be aware that whole wheat flour absorbs water more readily than all-purpose flour, so you may need to add a little extra liquid when baking with whole wheat.

Do you have to braid everything bagel bread?

No, you don’t have to braid this everything bagel bread recipe. The braid looks nice, but you could just as easily form the dough into a boule instead, or halve it and add it to buttered loaf pans and bake them that way, no braiding necessary.