Cottage Cheese Bagels (Printable)

Soft, chewy bagels with cottage cheese and self-rising flour yielding a protein-packed breakfast or snack.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 1 cup cottage cheese, low-fat or fat-free
02 - 1.5 cups self-rising flour

→ Toppings

03 - 1 egg, beaten for egg wash
04 - 1 tablespoon everything bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, or poppy seeds

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, stir cottage cheese until mostly smooth. Add self-rising flour and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
03 - Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead for 1-2 minutes until just combined and slightly tacky. Avoid overworking.
04 - Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Roll each into an 8-inch log, then pinch ends together to form a bagel shape.
05 - Place bagels on prepared baking sheet. Brush with beaten egg if desired and sprinkle with desired toppings.
06 - Bake for 22-25 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch.
07 - Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You skip the boiling step entirely, which means no steam-filled kitchen or babysitting a pot of water.
  • Eleven grams of protein per bagel keeps you full through morning meetings and afternoon slumps.
  • The whole thing comes together in thirty-five minutes, start to finish, which beats waiting for yeast to do its thing.
  • Self-rising flour does the heavy lifting, so you don't need to hunt for instant yeast or worry about temperature control.
02 -
  • Don't skip the cooling time—I learned this the hard way when I sliced into a bagel straight from the oven and it fell apart into a mess of hot, gummy dough that looked nothing like the crispy-on-the-outside bagel I'd envisioned.
  • The dough will feel sticky and almost too wet compared to bread dough, which is exactly right; this is what gives you that tender, chewy crumb, so resist the urge to add more flour even if it feels counterintuitive.
03 -
  • Toast these bagels after baking if you want a crispier crust and a slightly drier crumb—it only takes two to three minutes in the toaster and totally transforms the texture.
  • Make the egg wash with a splash of water if you want a less shiny finish, or skip it entirely for a matte, more rustic look that honestly looks just as good.
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