There are two types of people in this world: people who love Panera’s Cinnamon Crunch bagels and people who lie to themselves about not liking Cinnamon Crunch Bagels.
First there’s the doughy bagel with the chewy golden outside. Then, there’s that magical cinnamon sugar crunchy stuff on top.
Doughy + crunchy + carbs + crunchy sugar. What’s not to love?
While these are admittedly not the most nutritious of breakfast options, they sure as hell taste good. And life is all about balance, ya dig?
Quite honestly, these bagels are kind of an undertaking. I’m not going to lie to you and say they are quick to make. But they are worthy of the effort and quite impressive and satisfying to DIY.
So prep these Panera cinnamon crunch bagels, boil and bake ’em, and add as much sugary crunch topping as your heart desires.
Copycat Panera Cinnamon Crunch Bagels
Ingredients
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine warm water, yeast, 1 tablespoon sugar or honey, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Allow yeast to bloom for about 10 minutes.
Add flour and mix with an electric mixer and a dough hook for 3 minutes, or by hand for about 5 minutes. The dough should be tacky and fully moistened, but not wet. If the dough is dry, add a bit more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Allow dough to rest for 10 minutes. Then, knead with an electric mixer and dough hook or by hand for an additional 4 minutes.
Transfer dough to a clean, oiled bowl and allow to rest at room temperature for at least an hour. Bagels will rise better if rested overnight or for at least 4 hours. If resting overnight, move to the refrigerator.
If chilling dough, allow dough to come to room temperature for about an hour before shaping.
When dough is at room temperature, shape bagels. You can shape bagels by rolling dough into 8-inch logs about 1 inch thick in diameter and then pressing the dough together to form a loop. Or you can roll out the dough to be about 1 inch thick and use a large circular cutter to cut a large ring, and then cut a small ring in the middle with a sharp knife or small circular cookie cutter.
Allow shaped bagels to undergo a second proof on an oiled sheet pan for an additional 60-90 minutes.
After second proofing, preheat the oven to 500°F and prepare poaching liquid by combining 8-12 cups water to a boil.
While waiting for water to boil and oven to preheat, prepare topping by combining sugars and cinnamon in a small bowl and melting butter in a small microwave-safe dish. Set aside.
Once water is boiling, add 1 tablespoon baking soda, the additional 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar or honey, the additional 1 teaspoon salt, and stir gently.
Grab a slotted spoon, wooden spoon, or spatula. Gently lower bagels into simmering pot, 1-2 at a time (the bagels should float). After 1 minute of boiling, flip bagels, and boil for an additional 30-60 seconds before removing and transferring back to the oiled tray, domed side up.
Brush the tops of the bagels with melted butter or non-dairy butter, and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top of the melted butter. Drizzle any remaining butter over the tops of the bagels.
Once all bagels have been poached in water, lower the heat of the oven to 450°F and place the bagels into the oven.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, turning the tray halfway through to ensure even browning.
Allow bagels to cool and enjoy.