I Made Those 2-Ingredient, No-Yeast Bagels, And They Actually Blew My Mind

Dear reader, I’ve stumbled into a Pinterest-hole of two-ingredient bagels and I can’t get out. The recipe that has sent me into this particular spiral, technically has an unknown origin, but has adopted by the corner of the internet that adheres to the Weight Watchers plan. The formula for two-ingredient bagels (or two-ingredient dough) has hit a serious jackpot on the internet since January of 2018. Bloggers all over the world praise the recipe—which is just Greek yogurt and self-rising flour—as the high-protein, low “Point” (it's a Weight Watchers thing) bagel they’ve been searching for. While I’m not interested in anything labeled “diet,” I am fascinated by internet-famous recipes. Plus, since this one called for just two ingredients I already had on hand, it seemed too easy not to try.

First things first: I am a born in New York, raised in New Jersey-level bagel snob. I do not buy packaged grocery store bagels; in fact, I consider them an insult to my way of life. So, if anything, I had low expectations of a bagel claiming to be made with just yogurt and flour, let alone one that had been pegged as a diet food.

The formula for tthese bagels is simple: Mix together 1 cup low-fat or nonfat Greek yogurt and 1 cup self-rising flour. If you only have all-purpose flour, you can probably still make the bagels: just whisk in 1½ teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon of salt to each cup of flour.

Once the yogurt and flour are mixed together, turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead it together until it’s smooth. Cut the dough into 4 pieces.

Roll each piece of dough into a rod about 6 inches long, then press the ends together to form rounds. Place the bagels onto a parchment paper-lined sheet pan.

At this point, the recipe actually proved itself to call for a third ingredient—an egg—which you beat into a wash for the tops of each bagel. Not only does the egg wash help the bagels get golden brown in the oven, it also helps any toppings stick to the bagels. And speaking of toppings, that does mean we’re not technically at upwards of 4 ingredients. However, since toppings are my favorite part of bagels, I wasn’t mad about it.

Many recipes I saw online said to use chia seeds as bagel topping for added fiber. While I love a good chia pudding when the time is right, a bagel is no place for chia seeds. I topped my bagels with garlic powder, za’atar, sesame seeds, and sea salt.

The bagels bake at 350ºF for 24 minutes, then for another 3-5 minutes at 450ºF.

The bagels definitely have a bit of the chewy, tangy elements I look for in a good bagel, but they weren’t quite as chewy as the real deal. They did, however, stand up very well to toasting, and even achieved a more bagel-y quality in the process. Ultimately, if I were blindfolded and fed these bagels I don’t know if I would guess “the bagel from my favorite deli,” but they’re certainly better than anything you’d find wrapped in cellophane and sold in packs of 6 at the grocery store. Ultimately, since they’re ridiculously easy and cheap to make, I would give them 7 out of 10, with the option to chase one with a real bagel.