Easy Za'atar Bagel Recipe - Monica Nedeff (2024)

This 4 ingredient Za'atar Bagel recipe is super easy to make at home and so delish! No need for a mixer with a dough hook, you just have to knead the dough 10-15 times and you're ready to go!

Awhile back, everyone was going nuts for the two ingredient bagel recipe: Greek yogurt + self-rising flour. They're so good, especially if you like sourdough. The tart taste from the Greek yogurt gives these bagels just the right amount of sourness!

Everyone did their rendition of 2 ingredient bagels, but I didn't see any za'atar bagels....so I thought I'd solve that problem!

2 Ingredient Bagel Recipe

Greek Yogurt: make sure to not include the watery part of the yogurt in the dough....don't want the dough to be soggy!

Self-rising Flour: I didn't have self-rising flour in the pantry, so I made my own! Just mix 1 cup flour with 2 teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt. Highly recommend checking the expiration date on the baking powder. We were getting low on our baking powder, so I thought I'd check the date......expired! Since baking powder is the leavening agent, you definitely want to make sure it works and does its job to get that light and airy texture!

Egg Wash: Wisk one egg in a small bowl and use a brush to coat the bagels before seasoning.

Seasonings: Generously sprinkle za'atar on the bagel before baking.

Making the Bagels

Step 1: Make your self-rising flour if you don't already have self-rising flour on hand.

Step 2: Mix yogurt and flour together but don't over mix. I found using my hands to be the easiest way of mixing the ingredients instead of a spoon.

Step 3: Lightly flour a cutting board and knead the dough 10-15 times. You don't want to over knead the dough because the texture will be off in the bagels. Err on the side of less is more!

Step 4: Divide the dough in 4 sections, roll the dough into ropes and connect the ends to make a circle. Place on greased baking sheet.

Step 5: Brush the eggs wash over the bagels.

Step 6: Sprinkle the za'atar! Get that seasoning everywhere!

Step 7: Bake for 20-25 mins at 375 degrees. After baking, let the bagels cool to room temp (about 15 minutes)

Why Za'atar is Great for Bagels

Za'atar is like the Middle Eastern version of the Everything but the Bagel Seasoning by Trader Joes. It can go on anything! I use both TJ's Everything but the Bagel Seasoning and Za'atar interchangeably.....almost daily!

Za'atar is made up of sesame seeds, thyme, sumac (earthy taste), and salt. It's super simple and goes with so much. The bagels have the toasted sesame flavor along with the earthy, savory taste from the thyme and sumac. It's a winning combo! As you can tell, I'm a huge za'atar fan! If you want to try other za'atar recipes, check out my za'atar fries and za'atar pizza.

Tips on Homemade Bagels

I sifted the flour to make it lighter and easier to mix in with the baking powder and salt. Not necessary, but the bagels definitely turned out well with airy pockets and volume.

You can form the bagels by either poking a hole in the center of the dough balls or rolling like ropes. I tried both ways and liked the ropes better because the bagels were smoother and more symmetrical.

Grease your baking sheet or parchment paper, so the bagels don't stick! The first time I made these, I used a baking stone and they were stuck on there. I read others had the same issue using parchment paper, so a little oil helps!

The thicker the yogurt the better! I used fa*ge 2% milk-fat yogurt, which works well! It has very little water, so it's easy to spoon out only the yogurt. I would not recommend using regular yogurt since the consistency is thinner and will make the dough too wet.

Let me know below if you have any other favorite bagel toppings!