Do you love the taste of bagels but hate the prep time? If so, frozen bagels might be just what you need. Frozen bagels are a great alternative if you’re looking for a convenient and fast breakfast option. Fortunately, using frozen bagels is so easy that it only takes a few minutes to prepare one at home. Let’s take a closer look at how we can defrost them and cook them faster than ever before.
How To Defrost Frozen Bagels
Check the Instructions
Whether you purchased bagels frozen or fresh, they should include instructions for how to properly store and thaw them. The process will vary based on where the bagels were made and how long they’ve been frozen, so it’s important to look for these instructions. If you don’t find them, you can also place the bagels in the fridge the night before you want to eat them so that they’ll be thawed by the next morning. Just be sure to take them out of the fridge in time so they can reach room temperature before you want to eat them.
Microwave Your Bagels
Microwaving frozen bagels can be a quick and easy way to defrost them while retaining some of their texture. Be sure to place the bagels on a microwave-safe plate or in a microwavable container so that they don’t get squished and stay in one piece. Microwave them for 30-second intervals until the bagels are defrosted and you can easily remove them from the plate or container.
Thaw in Room Temperature
If you’re in a rush and don’t have time to wait for the bagels to thaw in the microwave or through the other methods listed here, you can always just place them in room temperature. This is the best way to defrost frozen bagels if you’re planning to eat them as soon as they’re thawed. Place them in a dry paper bag or wrap them in a dry towel to keep them from getting too wet and growing mold.
Thaw in Hot Water
Heat water in a pot on the stove until it’s almost boiling. Turn off the stove and place your bagels in the water. Be sure to use a lid so that the bagels stay under the water. Let them sit in the water for about 10-15 minutes.
Defrost in the Oven
Turn your oven to the lowest temperature setting (usually around 170 degrees Fahrenheit). Place your bagels on a baking sheet and put them in the oven. Let them sit there until they’re thawed enough so that you can remove them from the packaging and easily bite through them.
Use a toaster or toaster oven to defrost bagels
It might be a bit of an unusual way to defrost frozen bagels, but heating them in a toaster or toaster oven will speed up the process quite a bit. Just make sure to place the bagels on a plate or container that’s oven-safe so that they don’t get burnt.
Shake and Bake!
Yes, it’s an old joke, but there’s a reason people suggest it. If you’re in a rush and just need to thaw your bagels as quickly as possible, try placing them in a paper bag and shaking them vigorously so that the friction heats them up and defrosts them.
Why Are Frozen Bagels So Convenient?
1. You can have a bagel anytime, anywhere.
A bagel is not the same as a loaf of bread. A loaf of bread has to be baked. A bagel is simply a bunch of dough that is frozen and then sliced into slices when you want to eat it. So you don’t have to wait for it to be baked and then sliced into bread pieces!
2. You don’t have to wait for your bread or pastries to rise!
You can just add water and yeast and this will make the dough rise in less than an hour! This means you can enjoy your pastries or breads with your breakfast in less than one hour’s time! It’s perfect for those who are always on the run!
3. You can enjoy the crusty outside part of the frozen bagels without having to worry about messing up your diet by eating them when they are still hot from the oven.
As long as they are frozen, you can eat them anytime you want! You can even make sandwiches and put the crusty outside part on the inside of the bread and then eat it like a sandwich! The crusty outside part is so yummy and filling that you won’t feel full even when you are eating it after a long time.
4. You can do all kinds of things with your bagels, without having to worry about spoiling your diet!
You can enjoy them for breakfast, as snacks, as dessert, or in place of bread for dinner. You can also use them for making sandwiches or using them as a substitute for noodles or rice. You can even bake some bagels and then use them for making french toast!
5. They are portable!
You don’t have to worry about taking time to prepare your own food when you are on the run from one place to another. Just grab your frozen bagel from the freezer when you get hungry and enjoy it while running around like crazy!
6. They are cheaper than bread!
You get a lot more for your money when you buy bagels. You can enjoy your bagels for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and you will still have some pocket change left to spend on other foods that you want to eat.
7. They are easy to make!
You don’t need a lot of skill or expertise in order to make them. It’s just a matter of following the recipe and then freezing them after they are done baking. You can even use a bread machine to make them if you have one at home. No matter how much experience you have in baking bread, making bagels is very easy and enjoyable as well!
8. They don’t spoil easily!
Unlike bread, which usually spoils after only a few days, frozen bagels last for months or even years without spoiling at all! This means that you can enjoy your frozen bagels whenever you want without having to worry about the quality of your food deteriorating over time.
6 Tips For Cooking Frozen Bagels From Scratch
- Buy the best bagels you can afford. Inexpensive bagels don’t taste as good, so it’s helpful to know what you’re getting into before you buy.
- Buy a good bagel flour. The majority of bagel recipes call for all-purpose white flour. This is fine for most things, but not for bagels which require a high gluten content. Bagel flour is an excellent alternative which has higher protein levels and gives the finished product a smoother, chewier texture than regular all-purpose flour.
- Make sure your oven is set at 500-550 degrees Fahrenheit (260 – 275 degrees Celsius). If your oven runs hotter or colder than this temperature, your baked goods will turn out dry and chewy instead of soft and chewy like they should be. Try to avoid baking with temperatures that are too low or too high as these can cause your dough to rise unevenly and produce flat baked goods instead of the traditional dome shape that’s associated with bagels.
- If you have a baking stone, use it. This is one of the best ways to achieve a perfectly baked bagel which results in a chewy, light texture and no soggy bottom.
- If you don’t have a baking stone, make sure your oven is preheated well enough to get up to 500-550 degrees Fahrenheit (260 – 275 degrees Celsius). The extra time it takes to heat up your oven will result in an even better-textured bagel than if you try to bake them on the pan itself.
- A great way to ensure that your bagels will come out just right is by using the recipe below as a base and then tweaking it to meet your own personal preferences. For example, I like my bagels soft and chewy rather than crispy and crunchy so I generally use a lower temperature for the first few minutes of baking then increase the temperature for the rest of the baking process until they are done. This ensures that they have a soft, chewy texture but still come out with a nice crunchy crust.
Conclusion
Frozen bagels can be a convenient breakfast option, but only if you know how to use and prep them correctly. Fortunately, defrosting frozen bagels is easy and straightforward, especially when you use a warm water bath. For best results, microwave the bagels before toasting them to prevent them from becoming soggy. From there, you can top your frozen bagels however you like and enjoy a delicious, fast breakfast!
