A personal, private Panera bakery. Now, that’s what dreams are made of (especially if a vat of Panera-style Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup is included). I have fond memories of these cinnamon sugar-coated orbs of heaven. Back in high school, I worked for my school’s newspaper. Every Saturday before we went to print, the staff gathered in our classroom “office” and worked until the pages were ready for press. Our fuel: adolescent energy, bad 1990s pop, and an endless supply of Panera cinnamon crunch bagels (mine topped with a solid inch of obligatory hazelnut cream cheese). Today, I’m making high school Erin’s dreams come true with a homemade version of (arguably) everyone’s favorite Panera bagel (Try my version of Panera’s Spinach Strawberry Salad with Balsamic Poppy Seed Dressing next).
How to Make Cinnamon Crunch Bagels
Swirled cinnamon bagel dough topped with a crackly cinnamon crunch topping. If you’re a lover of all things cinnamon, then this Panera cinnamon crunch bagel recipe is for you (as are these Cinnamon Blondies).
The Ingredients
Cinnamon + Sugar. You can’t have a Panera cinnamon crunch bagel without a healthy ridiculous amount of cinnamon and sugar. Not only are these bagels topped with a divine cinnamon sugar topping, but they’re also swirled right into the dough too (like this Cinnamon Swirl Bread with Hazelnuts).Flour. For this recipe, I like to use a blend of all purpose flour and white whole wheat flour. It allows you to sneak a little whole grain goodness into the bagels that’s nearly undetectable.Vital Wheat Gluten. My secret to softer, tender bagels that still have the right amount of chew. It’s totally optional but totally worth it in my opinion. (It’s also my secret to my go-to Whole Wheat Pizza Dough.)Instant Yeast. Allows you to mix the yeast right into the dry ingredients without needed to activate ahead of time.Cream of Tartar. Gives the dough a subtle tang.Water. Warmed and mixed into the dry ingredients to activate the yeast and also needed to make the water bath each bagel is simmered in prior to baking.Brown Sugar. Is mixed with the cinnamon and sugar for our crunch topping and also dissolved into the water bath which infuses the bagels with a light malty molasses flavor. YUM!
The Directions
Storage Tips
To Store. Bagels are best enjoyed the day they are made but can be kept at room temperature in a zip-top bag for up to 2 days.To Freeze. Bagels may also be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or foil and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge to defrost before serving.
The dough is firm and easy to work with, and although the additional step of boiling the bagels might sound daunting, it really only adds about 8 minutes to the overall prep time and is completely worth it. A good bagel must be chewy, not dense, and boiling is an important step to achieve that perfect texture.
