The crust crackles when you tap it, the crumb is tight and springy, and the whole thing comes together from just flour and yogurt. No yeast, no proofing, no boiling water, two ingredients and thirty-five minutes get you a bagel that actually chews like one. The trick is the two-temperature bake: a gentle 350°F cooks it through, then a blast at 500°F browns the shell to a crisp.
These are protein-packed, low-calorie, and the 2 ingredient weight watchers bagels are forgiving enough that even a sticky dough shapes up fine with a flour-dusted hand. The only real pitfall is overmixing, which turns the crumb tough.
Why does Greek yogurt make these bagels chewy without fat?
Greek yogurt is the backbone here. It’s thick, so it hydrates the flour without turning the dough slack.
The protein in yogurt sets during baking, giving you that springy, dense chew you expect from a bagel. You won’t get the same structure from regular yogurt, it’s too thin.
Using 0% fat keeps the calorie count low, which is why these work for Weight Watchers recipes breakfast easy. The texture is remarkably close to a real bagel, just without the oil or butter.
When you bite in, the crumb is tight, not fluffy. That’s the protein doing its job.
What does self-rising flour do that regular flour can’t?
Self-rising flour already has baking powder and salt mixed in. That means you skip yeast entirely.
No proofing, no waiting. The dough comes together in a minute, and you can shape it immediately. The salt in the flour also seasons the dough from the inside out, so you don’t need extra salt later.
You could use all-purpose flour plus baking powder and salt, but the ratios are finicky. Self-rising simplifies everything. The result is a bagel that rises just enough in the oven to be light, not dense.
And you get that faint tang that balances the yogurt’s acidity.
Why the two-temperature bake for a crisp shell?
Start at 350°F. That gentle heat cooks the bagel through without drying the interior.
The inside stays soft and tender. Then you crank the oven to 500°F for the last two minutes.
That blast of high heat browns the exterior fast, creating a shiny, crisp crust. The egg wash helps, it adds protein that browns and also sticks the seasoning to the surface. Without that final blast, the bagel would be pale and soft-skinned.
With it, you get a contrast: a crackly shell and a chewy crumb. Watch them closely at the end; they go from golden to too dark quickly.
Prep: 10 min · Cook: 25 min · Total: 35 min · Servings: 4 · Calories: 160 kcal
2 Key Ingredients That Make These Bagels Work
Self-rising flour: Has baking powder and salt blended in, so you skip yeast and proofing.
Fage Total 0% Greek Yogurt: Thick enough to hydrate the dough without making it slack; 0% fat keeps calories low.
The first time I made these, I handled the dough too much trying to get rings, and they came out flat as pancakes. The next time, I barely touched them after cutting and they puffed up nicely.
How to shape and bake these 2-ingredient bagels
Mix the dough
Stir the self-rising flour and Greek yogurt together until a shaggy dough forms. It looks dry at first, keep going. When it comes together into a single mass, stop.
Overmixing toughens it.
Knead and divide
Dust your hands and the work surface lightly with flour. Knead the dough 4 to 5 times, just until smooth. Cut it into 4 equal pieces.
If the dough sticks, add a pinch more flour to your hands.
Shape the rings
Roll each piece into a 6-inch rope. Join the ends and press gently to seal.
If the seam opens while baking, your bagel won’t hold its ring. Press firmly, no gaps.
Egg wash and season
Brush each bagel with the whisked egg. Be generous, the wash helps the seasoning stick and gives that glossy brown crust. Sprinkle the Everything seasoning on top.
Tap off any excess, or it burns.
First bake at 350°F
Arrange the bagels on a greased sheet pan. Bake 23 minutes. They’ll look pale and feel slightly firm.
The interior is cooked through now, but the crust is soft.
Finish at 500°F
Pull the pan out and crank the oven to 500°F. Once hot, return the bagels for 2 minutes.
Watch closely, the tops go from golden to dark brown fast. The crust should crackle when you tap it.
2 Ingredient Weight Watchers Bagels
Ingredients
- 125 g self-rising flour
- 245 g Fage Total 0% Greek Yogurt
- 1 large egg for egg wash
- Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel seasoning to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven:
Heat oven to 350°F (175°C).Mix dough:
Mix 125 g (1 cup) self-rising flour and 245 g (1 cup) Fage Total 0% Greek Yogurt in a bowl until a dough begins to come together.Knead and divide:
Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface; dust your hands with flour. Knead briefly, then cut into 4 equal pieces.Shape bagels:
Shape each piece into a rope, then join the ends to form a ring, creating 4 bagels.Egg wash and season:
Whisk 1 egg and apply to the bagels with a brush. Sprinkle generously with Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel seasoning.Bake bagels:
Arrange bagels on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 23 minutes. Then remove from oven, raise temperature to 500°F (260°C), and bake another 2 minutes for a browned top.
Swap the signature ingredients, but watch the ratios
Self-rising flour: All-purpose flour: for each cup (125g), add 1½ tsp baking powder and ¼ tsp salt. The dough feels stiffer initially; add a teaspoon of water if it won’t come together. The bagel rises a little less, so the crumb is denser, still chewy, but not as tall.
Fage Total 0% Greek Yogurt: Non-dairy Greek-style yogurt (soy or coconut, thick and strained). The dough is stickier; dust with more flour when kneading.
The bagel won’t brown as well, skip the 500°F blast and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes. The texture is softer, less chewy, more bread-like.
Flavor changes noticeably; soy is neutral, coconut has a faint sweetness.
Fage Total 0% Greek Yogurt: Regular (non-Greek) yogurt, any fat percentage. Don’t. The extra water makes the dough slack and sticky.
You’d need to add so much flour that the bagels turn tough and dry. The protein content is too low to get that springy chew.
Storage and Serving
These bagels soften over time. Eat them within 2 days at room temperature for the best texture: the crust stays slightly crisp, the crumb tender. After that, they go stale quickly.
For longer storage, freeze the baked bagels. Let them cool completely, then wrap individually in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag.
They hold up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes, then toast to restore the chewiness. The egg wash and seasoning hold up well, but the bagels won’t recrisp like fresh.
To reheat, split and toast until the exterior firms. The interior stays soft. Don’t microwave; it makes them rubbery.
If making ahead, shape and refrigerate the dough rings before brushing with egg wash. Brush and bake within a few hours, or the yogurt may weep.
The final high heat blast should happen just before serving it gives the best crust. Serve warm or at room temperature within 2 hours of baking.
Tips
- Wet your hands with water before shaping the dough; it prevents sticking better than flour and doesn’t dry out the dough.
- For a more even bake, space the bagels at least 2 inches apart on the sheet so the heat circulates and the crust browns uniformly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these bagels ahead of time and reheat them?
Yes, shape the dough rings and refrigerate unbaked for a few hours, then brush with egg wash and bake. For fully baked bagels, reheat by splitting and toasting until the exterior firms, the interior stays soft. Don’t microwave; it turns them rubbery.
Why did my bagels turn out dense or flat?
Most likely the dough was overmixed or too much flour was used during shaping, which toughens the crumb. Check that your self-rising flour is fresh, expired baking powder won’t give enough lift. If the rings spread instead of rising, the dough was too slack from sticky yogurt; dust with only a pinch of flour.
How do these compare to traditional boiled bagels in texture?
They lack the very crisp, glossy crust from boiling but have a similar tight, chewy crumb thanks to the yogurt protein. The two-temperature bake gives a crackly shell, though it’s thinner than a boiled bagel’s. Inside, the texture is springy and dense, not fluffy like bread.
Can I freeze these bagels for later?
Yes, cool the baked bagels completely, wrap individually in plastic wrap, and freeze in a bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature 30 minutes, then toast to restore chewiness. The egg wash and seasoning hold up, but the crust won’t recrisp like fresh.
