Air Fryer Bagels

With just 2 ingredients, this homemade air fryer bagels screams comfort. They are super easy to make, delicious, and comes out perfectly every time. 

Serves as breakfast or snacks, bagels are an important class of food in today’s societies. 

Perfect for a family gathering, formal and informal meetings, you can never go wrong with snacks and dessert anytime. 

These air fried bagels are no different than the regular bagels you would purchase from the local grocery store. They feature the same round shape with a hole in the middle. 

While there are no sacrosanct ingredients for it, the most popular ingredients include flour, salt, and water. 

There might be other additions, based on the recipe you decide to adopt.

We will touch on the history of bagels, the ingredients needed to make your air fryer bagels at home, and the accurate storage and reheating options for this snack.

History of Bagels

While the recorded history of bagels may go back some six centuries ago, the actual history goes farther than that. There are many stories regarding the origin and history of bagels. 

One of these stories, from the first written records about bagels, showed that bagels started in 1610 in Poland. 

The Polish city of Krakow stipulated that the pastry was to be given as gifts to women after childbirth. 

The medieval polish also believed that the round shape that bagels have is reminiscent of the magical powers possessed by these pastries.  

Another story also indicated that these snacks originated from the East and entered Poland through Germany in the 14th century.

It was said that bagels made their way into the society at the same time that pretzels, the popular German bread, made their way out of monasteries and became a popular food option in the streets.

In the migration flow that characterized the 14th century and led to the massive inflow of people from Germany to Poland to help to build the Polish economy, the pretzels made their way to Poland. 

It was these pretzels that morphed into round-shaped bread with a hole in the middle that we know as bagels today.

The Polish name for this modified bread is obwarzanek, and it became even more popular when Queen Jadwiga chose to eat the snack during Lent instead of the colorful, delicious, and tasty pastries that she is used to. 

However, one should not because the Queen’s decision to choose obwarzanek for Lent confused the societal status of the snack at the time. 

Bagels were made with white wheat which makes it a very expensive option that only royalty, the affluent, and the people with means can enjoy.

While this story has some backing with historical facts, another story started that bagels were first made by a Viennese baker in 17th century Austria, trying to pay homage to the Polish king, Jan Sobieski. 

This snack was said to have been made in 1683 as a gift for the king’s ability to ward off Turkish forces from Austria and Poland (as they were under the same empire). 

This baker understood the king’s love for horses and was said to have made the pastry in a circle in a way that looks like a stirrup, known as beugel in German. Hence, the name of the snack.

Bagels didn’t become popular and mainstream in the US until the turn of the 20th century. In 1999, a columnist in the New York Times, William Safire wrote that bagels have now overtaken the doughnuts in terms of popularity. 

Though the two pastries share the same shape, the taste and emotions invoked are different, and so is the money spent on each pastry. 

The column showed that while the American population spends about three-quarters of a billion dollars on bagels annually, only half of a billion goes to doughnuts.

The column also explained the difference between bagels and doughnuts. While they share the same form and shape, they taste different. 

Bagels are low in fat and are a bit chewy while doughnuts contain about 10 grams of fat and are sweet and crumbly. 

While doughnuts are fun pastries and bring sugary smiles, you get a serious and ethnic pastry with bagels.

Why you should try out these Homemade Air Fryer Bagels

• Few ingredients: For this pastry, you need not empty the grocery store, as you will only need a few ingredients. As a matter of fact, all you need are just two ingredients; flour and Greek yogurt.  
• Fast: You should be done with the homemade air fryer bagels in 10 minutes, all things being equal.
• Easy to customize: These homemade air fryer bagels are very easy to make and customize. You can decide on whether to use your favorite toppings or fold through the bagels.

Ingredients Used for Homemade Air Fryer Bagels

• Flour: Two types of flour work for this pastry. The first type is self-rising flour which contains flour, salt, and baking powder. This means that you need not add salt and a leavening agent when making the dough. The second type is the all-purpose flour, but this type requires the use of a leavening agent and salt.  
• Yogurt: As long as the yogurt is unflavored, it is okay to use any type of yogurt, be it soy, Greek, or coconut.
• Eggs and Butter (Optional): while butter is only optional, it gives the bagels a golden-brown color and a crumbly texture.
• Toppings: Depending on your choice, you can add any toppings that you prefer.

 Tips for making The Best Bagels In The Air Fryer Bagels

• Ensure that you don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket. This is because air fryers rise and spread. Thus, if you have a moderately sized air fryer basket, you should only put three at a time. But if it is bigger, you can go for five bagels at a time.
• If you can’t find butter for brushing the bagels, you can substitute with cream or milk.
• Slice the bagels in half once they are cooked and cooled.

Storing and Reheating

You can store bagels in the refrigerator for up to five days as long as they are covered. You can also freeze them for up to six months as long as they are kept in a ziplock bag. 

As for reheating, you can either use the air fryer or microwave. Reheating with a microwave takes about 30 seconds and using air fryers takes about 2 minutes.

Bread Recipes To Try

After trying these delicious bagels, try one of these bread recipes next. 

Vegan Haitian Bread

Air Fryer Milk Buns

Armenian Bread

Banana Bread

Instant Pot Cornbread

Jalapeño Cornbread

Plantain Bread

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