Garlic Herb Protein Bagels (Printable view)

Soft, herb-infused protein bagels paired with creamy cottage cheese spread for a nourishing start.

# What You Need:

→ For the Bagels

01 - 2 cups bread flour
02 - 1 cup unflavored whey protein powder
03 - 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast
04 - 1 tablespoon sugar
05 - 1½ teaspoons salt
06 - 1 tablespoon dried mixed herbs
07 - 2 teaspoons garlic powder
08 - 1 cup warm water
09 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ For Boiling

10 - 2 quarts water
11 - 1 tablespoon honey or sugar
12 - 1 teaspoon baking soda

→ For the Cottage Cheese Spread

13 - 1 cup cottage cheese
14 - 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
15 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
16 - 1 garlic clove, minced
17 - ½ teaspoon lemon zest
18 - Salt and black pepper to taste

# How To Make:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine bread flour, protein powder, yeast, sugar, salt, dried herbs, and garlic powder.
02 - Add warm water and olive oil to the dry mixture. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
03 - Knead the dough on a floured surface for approximately 8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
04 - Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 30 to 40 minutes until doubled in size.
05 - Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
06 - Punch down the dough and divide into 6 equal portions. Shape each into a ball, then poke a hole in the center of each to form bagels.
07 - Bring 2 quarts of water to a gentle boil. Add honey or sugar and baking soda.
08 - Boil each bagel for 45 seconds per side, then transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
09 - Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Cool on a wire rack.
10 - In a bowl, mix cottage cheese, chives, parsley, minced garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper until smooth.
11 - Slice bagels and serve with a generous layer of cottage cheese spread.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're genuinely filling in a way that keeps you satisfied until lunch, not just full for an hour.
  • The garlic and herbs make plain bagels feel like you're cooking something special, but they're honestly easier than you'd think.
  • One bagel with the spread has more protein than most people eat at breakfast, so no weird energy crash at 11am.
02 -
  • The boiling step is not optional even though it feels weird—it's what separates a bagel from a weird dense roll, so don't skip it or rush it.
  • If your dough feels sticky at any point, resist the urge to add more flour; let it rest for five minutes and it'll feel better about itself.
  • The spread can sit in the fridge for three days, which means you can make bagels on Sunday and actually enjoy them without chaos on Wednesday morning.
03 -
  • If your protein powder has a flavor (vanilla, chocolate), it will fight with the garlic and lose—stick with unflavored or the whole thing gets weird.
  • The secret to not having dense bagels is actually doing the boiling step properly instead of baking them straight through like a normal roll.
  • Make the spread the night before so the flavors have time to get friendly with each other and taste better than expected.
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