How To Make Tie Dye Rainbow Bagels

on May 04, 2021, Updated Feb 09, 2024 Homemade bagels are so delicious right out of the oven. These tie-dye rainbow bagels take it to the next level. Grab the recipe and enjoy! If you love bagels, you are definitely going to want this recipe with a twist. Literally! Tie-dye is all the rage right now and we all love rainbows, so how about some rainbow tie-dye bagels? I had already learned how to make bagels before and even made green bagels for St. Patrick’s Day. I love how they turned out! Now let’s give it a twist and make a rainbow version. Here’s how.

Ingredients for Rainbow Bagels

For this bagel dough, you will need the following items. **See below recipe for the exact amounts. You will be making a batch for each color.

Warm water Active dry yeast Granulated sugar All-purpose flour Salt Gel food paste color (we have red, blue, and yellow here) Vegetable oil (for bowl when rising)

I also recommend the following equipment:

Large stock pot Parchment paper lined baking sheets 3-4 bowls Mixer with dough hook attachment

How to Make Rainbow Bagels

Because these bagels start with 3 colors, you need to have 3 bowls ready to go. We’ll make each color seperately and then combine them. For the first color, add a packet of yeast and sugar to cup of warm water and let sit. Pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment and add in half of the flour and food coloring. Knead until it is no longer sticky. Add oil to the bottom of a bowl and place the dough on top. Start with the lightest color first and mix until incorporated. Then, add the second half of the flour. Mix until it comes together as a stiff dough and turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
Refrigerate until all of the colors have been made. Repeat this process for the other two colors and remove all bowls of dough from fridge. Place in a warm area and cover. Allow to rise. Punch down and knead the doughs slightly, then roll out into one inch thick rectangles.

Lightly grease a sheet of parchment paper to rest the dough on and stack the colors on top of one another, making sure they are the same size and length. Cut the stacked dough in half and add the stack on top of the other. Cover and let meld together for approximately 30 mins. Slice the dough into 1 inch by 6 inch strips and twist to create a spiral shape. Then, join the ends to create a bagel. Repeat with remaining dough. Want to try some peach fritters next? Save our easy baked donuts recipe! Place rainbow bagels a lightly greased surface (baking sheet) and cover for 20-30 minutes while your oven preheats. Bring a large pot of water (12 cups) to a boil and boil bagels on each side for about 30 seconds. I recommend boiling 2-3 at a time. Add the boiled bagels to a lightly greased parchment lined baking sheet and bake. Then, turn bagels over and finish baking. Remove from oven, cool for a bit and enjoy! I LOVE eating bagels warm so don’t let them cool for too long!

Can You Freeze Bagels?

Whether purchasing fresh bagels or making them at home, I always freeze them! They stay fresh for a long time and all you need to do is wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave for about 30 seconds when you are ready to eat. I recommend storing flavored bagels in their own freezer bags to keep flavors separate. Eat plain or with your favorite cream cheese.