Cottage Cheese Protein Bagels (Print View)

Soft, protein-rich bagels made using cottage cheese and self-rising flour, perfect for a quick breakfast or snack.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 1 cup cottage cheese, full-fat or low-fat
02 - 1½ cups self-rising flour

→ Toppings

03 - 1 egg, beaten for egg wash
04 - 2 tablespoons everything bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, or poppy seeds

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, mix cottage cheese and self-rising flour until a shaggy dough forms.
03 - Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead gently for 1 to 2 minutes until smooth, avoiding over-kneading.
04 - Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each into a rope, form into a bagel shape, and pinch ends to seal.
05 - Place bagels on prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with beaten egg and sprinkle with desired toppings.
06 - Bake for 18 to 22 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
07 - Let cool slightly before slicing and serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're ready in thirty minutes flat, which means hot bagels for breakfast without the fuss of traditional yeast dough.
  • Each one packs eleven grams of protein thanks to the cottage cheese, so you'll actually stay full past mid-morning.
  • The ingredient list is almost insultingly short, which means fewer things to buy and fewer chances to mess it up.
02 -
  • Don't over-knead the dough thinking it'll make better bagels—it actually makes them tough and dense instead of soft and chewy, and I learned that the hard way by kneading for five minutes the first time.
  • The egg wash is optional but it makes a huge difference in how they look and how well toppings stick, so I always use it unless someone specifically asks me not to.
03 -
  • If your cottage cheese is really lumpy, blend it smooth before mixing with the flour—it distributes better and creates a more even texture in the final bagels.
  • Keep your hands lightly floured when shaping but don't go overboard, or you'll end up with excess flour in the dough and they'll come out dry instead of tender.
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