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Air Fryer Whole Wheat Bagels

Bagels stacked on top of each other on a gray napkin
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5 from 1 review

Whole Wheat Air Fryer Bagels are light and perfectly chewy.  Perfect for breakfast sandwiches, cream cheese, butter and jam, and everything in-between!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 – 4 cups white whole wheat flour (see note)
  • 3 tablespoons wheat gluten
  • 2 ½ teaspoon instant yeast
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup warm milk (about 100°F)
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

Instructions

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add all of the ingredients with only 2 cups of the flour.  
  2. Mix on low speed until combined.  With the mixer running, continue to gradually add flour until the dough clears the sides of the bowl and forms a ball that is soft and slightly tacky.  It shouldn’t be so sticky that it leaves wet dough on your fingers when you touch it.  Knead for 5 minutes.  The dough will be slightly stiffer than a dinner roll dough.
  3. Place dough on a piece of parchment paper.  Use the corners of the paper to set it inside the pressure cooker pot.
  4. On the Instant Pot, select yogurt and adjust until it says “less”.  Some models say 24:00 when in the “less” mode.
  5. Place the lid securely on top and allow it to rise for 25 – 30 minutes until puffy and almost doubled.
  6. Use the corners of the parchment paper to lift dough from the pot.  Place dough on a lightly floured surface.
  7. Flatten it gently with your hands, then roll out to about ½ inch thickness.  Cut out 9 – 10 bagels using a 3 inch round cutter and a 1 inch round cutter to remove the center.
  8. Place bagels on a parchment lined sheet pan.  Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap and allow them to rise until doubled, about 30 – 45 minutes.
  9. Preheat Air Fryer to 350°F.
  10. Spray basket with nonstick oil spray.  Carefully transfer bagels to the air fryer basket in a single layer – depending on the size of the basket, you’ll need to do this in 2 -3 batches.  Spray bagels with oil spray and cook until browned, about 4 minutes.  
  11. Transfer cooked bagels to a cooling rack and repeat with the remaining dough. 
  12.  If cooking the bagel “holes”, they only need 3 minutes of cook time.
  13. Bagels taste best fresh out of the air fryer.  
  14. Cool leftovers completely and store in an air-tight container or bag.  
  15. Try the bagels sliced in half and toasted – they melt in your mouth!

Notes

  • I prefer to use white whole wheat flour instead of red wheat whole wheat flour because it is lighter in texture and flavor.
  • I haven’t used all-purpose white flour before, but I suspect it would work wonderfully.
  • The amount of flour can vary depending on several factors.  Add flour just until the dough starts to pull away from the edges of the mixing bowl.  Adding too much flour will make the bagels dense and dry.
  • Adjust how thick or thin you roll out the dough if you prefer a thinner or thicker bagel.
  • After you cut out the dough, the remaining dough can be pressed together and cut out again, the bagels just won’t be as smooth and “pretty”.
  • If not using the Instant Pot to quick rise the dough, place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap.  Let rise until doubled, about 60 minutes.
  • Bagel dough can be frozen before cooking.  After you cut them out, place bagels on a sheet pan and freeze until solid.  Transfer to a freezer safe ziptop bag.  When ready to cook them, place frozen bagels on a parchment lined sheet pan.  Cover with greased plastic wrap.  Let sit at room temperature for 3 hours until they thaw and rise.  Continue with cooking instructions.
  • If you don’t own an air fryer, the bagels can be baked in the oven.  They aren’t quite as light and airy, but they are still amazing.  Bake at 350° for 12 – 15 minutes until lightly browned.
  • Recipe doubles well.

Find it online: https://instafreshmeals.com/air-fryer-whole-wheat-bagels/