Panera’s Cinnamon Crunch Bagels seems to have a quite the following. This recipe is a copycat attempt that turned out to be the perfect breakfast bagel. There is a sweet topping that is loaded onto the bagels before baking, forming a crackly, craggy crust. Your kitchen will be filled with the aroma of cinnamon. These bagels are both tender and chewy-- just as a bagel should be.
Recipe by Debby - www.AFeastfortheEyes.net on November 12, 2025
Prep time: PT140M
Cook time: PT20M
Total time: PT880M
Bagels, Cinnamon Bagels, Cinnamon Sugar Crunch Bagels
- Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, stir together the preferment ingredients to make a shaggy dough. Using the dough hook of your stand mixer, combine at low speed. Likewise, use your hand to knead gently until thoroughly combined. (This may take about a minute; it's quite stiff.)
- Cover the bowl and let the preferment rest at room temperature for 4 to 14 hours; it should expand -OR- Place the preferment into a jar (I use a Jam Jar) with a loose cloth cover or a loose jar cover. I set mine inside my proofing box at 75 degrees the night before, and the preferment quadrupled in size!
- Add the remaining dough ingredients in the order listed to the bowl with the preferment, except the Cinnamon Sweet Bits.
- Mix to bring the dough together, by hand or at low speed of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment.
- Next, knead the stiff dough until it’s supple and elastic. This will take up to 15 minutes by hand or 8 to 10 minutes at medium-low speed with a mixer. (Check that it passes the window pane test.)
- Add the Cinnamon Sweet Bits during the last 2 minutes of kneading.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and let it rest, covered, until it doubles in bulk. This will take about 2 to 2 1/2 hours depending on the warmth of your kitchen. NOTE: The dough doubled in 90 minutes in my proofing box.
- Turn the dough out onto a clean surface, gently deflate it, and divide it into 6 equal pieces (about 120g each).
- Working with one piece of dough at a time, fold the edges into the center. Pinch to seal and set aside. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
- Starting with the first piece of dough you shaped, place it seam-side down on an unfloured surface. Use your cupped fingers and palm to roll the dough into a tight ball, moving your hand in a circular motion. The dough should stick slightly to the surface in order to create tension to yield a smooth exterior. If the dough is unmaginably sticky, add a very light dusting of flour; if the dough slides around on the surface without tightening, use a damp towel to clean and moisten the surface and try again.
- Once shaped into a tight ball, place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
- Cover the pre-shaped dough and allow it to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment and lightly grease the parchment; or sprinkle the parchment lightly with cornmeal, semolina, or farina, to prevent the bagels from sticking.
- Working with one piece of dough at a time, use your finger to poke a hole through the center.
- Gently rotate the dough to expand the hole to 2” to 3” in diameter, forming a ring shape. Place the shaped bagel onto the prepared baking sheet. The hole will close up a bit; that’s OK.
- Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough, then cover the bagels with a reusable cover or lightly greased plastic wrap, or a clean linen kitchen towel and let them rest until they feel slightly puffy to the touch, about 30 minutes.
- While the bagels are resting, preheat the oven to 450°F.
- In a small bowl, whisk the sugars, flour, and cinnamon together.
- Add the vanilla and melted butter and stir until the mixture resembles wet sand.
- Combine the water bath ingredients in a wide, shallow pot; the water should be at least 1 1/4" deep. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Add bagels to the water two or three at a time to avoid crowding.
- Boil for 60 seconds, then use a dough whisk, spider or slotted spoon to turn the bagels over. NOTE: I use skewers to turn the bagels over. Boil for another 60 seconds before removing from the water and placing on the prepared pan.
- Brush each bagel with egg wash and sprinkle with the topping, distributing evenly across the 6 bagels.
- For even more cinnamon crunch, sprinkle the tops of the bagels with more Cinnamon Sweet Bits and/or sparkling sugar.
- Press down on the toppings to fully adhere them to the bagel, ensuring that everything stays put.
- Bake the bagels for 18 to 22 minutes, until golden brown. Rotate the pan (front to back, back to front) halfway through baking to ensure even browning. If at any point the topping is becoming too dark, tent with foil and continue baking.
- Remove the bagels from the oven and transfer them to a rack to cool.
- These bagels are best enjoyed the day they’re made. Store any leftover bagels in a paper bag for up to 2 days; freezing is not recommended, as the sugary topping will become sticky upon thawing. To re-crisp, bagels can be toasted or wrapped loosely in foil and placed in a 350°F oven until warm.