These no rise gluten free bagels are made with yeast, but are still ready in about 40 minutes from start to finish because, well, there’s no rise at all. It all happens in the oven. No planning necessary, and you can still have bagels!
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The power of fresh bagels, gluten free
Piping hot, fresh bagels are kind of like donuts. You don't even realize how much you love them until they suddenly feel beyond reach.
That feeling of going into a bagel shop and coming out with a brown bag filled to the top with everyone's favorite kind of bagel, still warm from the oven?
Just because you can't do that any more doesn't mean you can't have piping hot, fresh bagels—even if you haven't planned ahead. Whenever we have a sleepover guest at my house, whether it's my niece and nephew or one of my kids' friends, I feel like I simply must make a kid-friendly breakfast that's still kind of impressive.
I can't tell you how many times I've set an alarm for 5 am just to be able to get that done by the time the first child rolled out of bed. But with these no rise gluten free bagels, I need less than an hour and can even whip up a batch on a moment's notice.
What makes a gf bagel not just a roll with a hole?
Although they don't have to rise before they go in the oven, these bagels do indeed have to be boiled in a molasses bath after shaping and before baking.
No boiling, no bagels. It's as simple as that.
I'm from New York and you're just going to have to trust me. If you want an actual bagel and not just a roll with a hole, set some water to boil and nobody gets hurt.
How you “take” your bagel is like how you take your coffee. Everyone has a signature.
Whether you take your bagel with a schmear (cream cheese) or a pat of butter, and whether you're an “everything” bagel sort or prefer yours plain, this no rise bagel recipe is heaven-sent.
Not a yeast-free gluten free bagel recipe
This recipe calls for yeast, so this is not a yeast-free gluten free bread. These bagels are called “no rise” because their rise happens entirely in the oven. That's called “oven spring.”
All yeast bread (even wild yeast sourdough bread) rises in the oven. But most bread rises first outside the oven, covered and allowed to “proof” at room temperature.
These no rise gluten free bagels are shaped, boiled (you must), and baked. Here, there is no pause after shaping to allow the shaped bagels to swell with growth of active yeast.
The recipe is formulated to use a bit more yeast and a bit more water, so the oven spring is more robust than with a “normal” yeast bread recipe.
Working with our gluten free bread flour recipe
This recipe is made with “gluten free bread flour,” which is made by adding whey protein isolate (an unflavored protein powder that is nearly 100% protein) and Expandex modified tapioca starch (a chemically modified tapioca starch that helps create amazing stretch and chew to gluten free breads) to Better Batter gluten free flour or my mock Better Batter blend.
Baking bread with even my favorite all purpose gluten free flour blend, Better Batter, is used to make batter-style gluten free bread, like our gluten free bread recipe for sandwiches. That sort of gluten free bread dough doesn’t look or behave anything like conventional yeast bread when it’s raw or even when it’s baking.
Baking with gluten free bread flour is an experience much more like what you might expect when you're baking conventional yeast bread. The dough isn't overly wet like the batter-style of bread. I
If you've ever made a batter-style gluten free bread, which absolutely still has its place in my heart, the moment you make this bread dough you'll see how different it is.
No Rise Gluten Free Bagels: Ingredients and substitutions
Gluten free, dairy free bagels?
If you're dairy-free, I'm afraid this recipe isn't a good choice. The butter in the recipe can be replaced rather easily with one of the excellent vegan butter substitutes available. My favorites are Miyoko's Kitchen and Melt brands.
But the real issue is the whey protein isolate that forms an important part the gluten free bread flour blend that makes these bagels so authentic. You can try replacing whey protein isolate with rice protein isolate or pea protein isolate, but then you must multiply the water in this recipe by 150% (for a total of 12 3/4 fluid ounces of water) and the dough will never be quite the same.
If you'd like to make something very similar, but with an all purpose gluten free flour in place of bread flour, we have another recipe for that. Try our recipe for easy gluten free bagels.
Gluten free, egg free bagels
The only egg is in the egg wash that is used to brush the raw bagels to help them brown and help any toppings to stick to the bagels as they bake. If you can't have eggs, try brushing cream or melted butter in place of the egg wash.
How to make these easy no rise gluten free bagels, step by step
Easy No Rise Gluten Free Bagels Recipe
Equipment
- Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups (490 g) gluten free bread flour blend (please click thru for details), plus more for sprinkling
- 2 teaspoons (6 g) instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons (9 g) kosher salt
- 1.06 cup (8.5 fluid ounces) warm water (1 cup + 1 tablespoon) (about 95°F)
- 6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
- Molasses bath (6 cups of water, 1 tablespoon molasses and 1 teaspoon kosher salt)
- Egg wash (1 egg at room temperature beaten with 1 tablespoon milk)
- Seeds for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper and set it aside.
- In a medium-sized, covered saucepan, bring the water bath (6 cups of water, 1 tablespoon molasses and 1 teaspoon kosher salt) to a boil over medium-high heat.
Make the dough.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer (or a large bowl with a handheld mixer with dough hooks), place the bread flour, yeast and granulated sugar, and use a handheld whisk to combine well. Add the salt and whisk to combine well.
- Add the water and butter, and mix on low speed with the dough hook(s) until combined. Raise the mixer speed to medium and knead for about 5 minutes.
- The dough is a smooth, enriched dough, but it is very thick.
- Spray a silicone spatula lightly with cooking oil spray, and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for 10 minutes to make the dough much easier to handle.
Shape the rolls.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and transfer it to a surface lightly sprinkled with bread flour. Sprinkle the dough very lightly with more flour and turn it over on itself a few times until the dough is smoother.
- Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Shape the pieces into rounds of dough, and place them on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart from one another.
- Place a floured finger in the center of each round of dough, press down to the bottom and move around in a circular motion to create a hole that is at least 1 1/2-inches wide.
Boil the bagels.
- Place as many of the raw, shaped bagels in the boiling water bath as can fit without crowding and boil them for about 45 seconds total, turning the bagels over gently to ensure even boiling.
- Remove the boiled bagels from the water bath and return to the baking sheet. Brush the tops and sides with the egg wash and sprinkle with seeds if using.
Bake the bagels.
- Place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven and bake until the bagels are golden brown all over and the internal temperature reaches about 180°F (18 to 20 minutes).
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool briefly before serving.
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Thanks for stopping by!
Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
Michelle Parker Howard says
If I wanted to make a batch and freeze a few, when during this process could I stop and freeze them? After the water bath but before the baking? Before the water bath? Any thoughts on this?
Nikki Pendley says
I’m not sure what you mean by a “molasses bath” in the blog article. I don’t see any instructions for adding molasses to the boiling water in the directions. Any help would be appreciated!
Cari O says
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper and set it aside. In a medium-sized, covered saucepan, bring the water bath (6 cups of water, 1 tablespoon molasses and 1 teaspoon kosher salt,) to a boil over medium-high heat.
Nikki Pendley says
Thank you! I guess one should never attempt to read a recipe while sleep deprived!
candykisses23 says
I made plain bagels (pg 74 from GFOAS cookbook) the past week, but I used Better Batter flour. Since it has xanthum gum in the flour, I did not add more as the recipe states. I did not get a chewy bagel at all…more like flat disks…ugh! The flour states cup for cup so I wasn’t sure! Help!!
Mare Masterson says
Mine are not pretty like yours, but they taste great!
Andi says
Hello! I have craved a cheese bagel for twenty one years. Any way to modify to add some cheese? I have your book. Got it yesterday waiting on the whey and I’ll be GTG (good to go)! :)
Anne Marie says
Other modifications, got it!! Thank you!!
Jennifer S. says
I love bagels, but somehow they go all wrong in the boiling water stage… do you have any tips?
Anne Marie says
Thank you Nicole! I forgot to ask do I also have to increase the liquid by 150% as stated in the book for this recipe as well? Thanks again!! :)
Anne Marie says
I was just going to comment on the whey powder as well:) In Nicole’s Gluten Free Bakes Bread she offers a substitute for dairy free, a NOW Foods pea protein isolate, and Growing Naturals rice protein isolate. I was also wondering if I could use either of these substitutes in this bagel recipe?
Nicole Hunn says
Definitely, Anne, with the other modifications in the book. :)
Bean says
Hi, I am unable to have whey powder (or anything dairy) as well as soy. What do you recommend to replace the whey powder in the GF bread flour?
Thanks!!
Nicole Hunn says
In place of whey protein isolate, Bean, you can use rice protein isolate or pea protein isolate, but you will have to increase the water to 150% of what is in the recipe as written, and you will have a much more moist dough. I go into the process in more detail in my bread book!
Melanie Carr says
I make a double batch of your wild sourdough bagels every week, and my children (teens) help because we LOOOOOVE bagels! Everything is our favorite, but we’ve mixed a little cinnamon and raisins into the dough and they were apparently mind-blowing as well (I didn’t get any of those). Now I can share this recipe with those who wanted one because I didn’t feel right copying the recipe from my all-time favorite book of yours. :)
Nicole Hunn says
Thank you, Melanie! I really appreciate the sourdough love (it’s some work, but it’s SO worth it!), and the fact that you weren’t willing to copy the recipe from the book. That means a lot to me.
Louise Cloutier says
I’ve never made bagels before, GF or otherwise. Is it possible to simply add flavor variations to this recipe (onion, sesame seeds, etc)? Does that work?
Nicole Hunn says
Definitely, Louise! You can sprinkle dried onion flakes on top, and whatever other seeds you like.
Todd W says
Can you use store bought GF Flour?
John Lachett says
Nothing “straight off the shelf” no.
Nicole Hunn says
Like John said, Todd, there is no viable option for a pre-mixed gluten free bread flour. Please follow the link in the recipe for more information on how to take Better Batter gluten free flour and add two ingredients to it to make my bread flour blend.
Mare Masterson says
Tried as I might, I could not master the grain free bagel. It was okay, but not something I want to rush to make. So, I have decided that I am going to start having cheat days from this grain free thing. Sunday is my cheat day. Once in that day, I will have some grains. I am now ordering Better Batter and making bread flour. First up, these bagels! Yeah baby! :) :)
Nicole Hunn says
Aw, Mare, good for you! I’ll be honest—I haven’t tried to make a grain-free bagel. Have you tried Otto’s Cassava Flour? A friend gave me some to work with since she found out she’s allergic, suddenly, and so far I’m very, very intrigued.
Mare Masterson says
Never heard of it. Will have to check it out. Oh, my husband and daughter will be ecstatic on Sunday when they see the bagels. (I have some bread flour left that I can use on them this Sunday!)
Nicole Hunn says
I’m afraid it’s not cheap, Mare, but it’s available on Amazon if you want to try it (Otto’s Naturals Cassava Flour (aff link))
Mare Masterson says
None of the flours are cheap. I have bulk almond and coconut in my freezer. No room for bulk cassava though. Maybe someday a larger freezer.
Joy Marie says
Same as tapioca, no?
youngbaker2002 says
tapioca starch is just the starch from the cassava root, i believe Joy and cassava flour is the whole root ground up.
Allison Tyler says
I am SO excited to try these quickies! Our local bagel shop has been posting hilariously awesome photos of their new rainbow bagels, and I’ve been craving one ever since! Thanks, Nicole!
Nicole Hunn says
No way, Allison! If you make these into rainbow bagels, please please snap a photo and share it here??
John Lachett says
Goodness! Rainbow Bagels! And I DO have time this weekend for baking…..
;-)
carolineGF says
If you use Better Batter flour, do you still need the whey protein isolate, expandex, etc.
John Lachett says
Yepper. Says as much in the directions above.
carolineGF says
But it also says or Better Batter itself – I am presuming that is if you you the mock better batter
John Lachett says
Read it again closely.
carolineGF says
I am new to this blog and need to understand what is the difference between mock better batter and better batter itself. Do you add the other items when using the mock better batter?
John Lachett says
Ok. See if this helps:
One cup of Gluten Free Bread Flour (which is what you need to use for this recipe and is discussed more fully on pages 8 to 10 of GFOAS Bakes Bread) contains 100 grams Mock Better Batter (There’s a hyperlink up there in the post by the way that you can click on and it will take you to the page with the recipe for Mock Better Batter). If you do not wish to make your own “Mock Better Batter” you can just use Better Batter itself.
In addition to either the one cup (140 grams) of “mock better batter” or just plain old off the shelf Better Batter you’ll need to add 25 grams whey protein isolate and 15 grams Expandex modified tapioca starch.
Those three things. The Better Batter (homemade or off the shelf) plus the whey protein isolate, plus the Expandex make up the Gluten Free Bread Flour.
carolineGF says
Thank you very much. You answered my questions. Have a great day.
youngbaker2002 says
I didn’t even scroll down to see that you had already responded to Joy. you did a much better job than i did! :)
youngbaker2002 says
Nicole developed mock better batter for those who don’t have excess to the real thing or for some reason don’t want to buy it from the Better Batter company. it can be used for a 1:1 replacement for when Better Batter is called for in Nicole’s recipes.
Allison Tyler says
I posted a pic of them above. You have to try it :)
Allison Tyler says
Made ’em! Learned a lot – should have tinted my colors more vibrant, should have kneaded less after I combined the colors to keep more of a separation of color…but still, fun, fun, fun! These are halves from two different bagels because not all of them had all five colors after my over-mixing. Just ate one toasted with butter. Delicious! Thanks, Nicole! You’re the best!
Mare Masterson says
Wow!
Allison Tyler says
Thanks! They were fun to do! And SO much tastier than any gluten-free bagel I’ve ever purchased!
John Lachett says
Okay. This is a thing I must make/do! So fantastic!!