Eating a toasted bagel for breakfast is a great way to start the day, in part because few things are as crispy and chewy as a bagel. In fact, bagels can be one of the most versatile foods you eat first thing in the morning, mainly because you can put anything on them you like. You don’t have to put butter or cream cheese on a bagel to make it taste good. You can also use peanut butter, jam, or even chicken or tuna salad if you’re enjoying your bagel around lunch time. The truth is, there are dozens of ways to enjoy a yummy bagel, which makes it a perfect breakfast or snack item.
Do Bagels Have to Be Toasted?
Although it’s true that you can eat a bagel right out of the package, these delights are usually much tastier when they’re toasted. In fact, toasted bagels have a completely different taste and texture than non-toasted bagels, which is probably why they were created this way in the first place! If you have a toaster, all you have to do is place your bagel in the toaster and in a few minutes, it’ll be warm and ready to be adorned with your favorite topping! But what if you have no toaster or it’s broken at the moment? Not to worry because there are other ways to toast a bagel, and following are a few of those ways.
Five Ways to Toast a Bagel Without a Toaster
1. Use Your Stovetop
If you have a non-stick pan, you’re one step closer to enjoying a tasty bagel that is the perfect texture thanks to being toasted. Just place your pan on the stove and turn the heat to medium. Then, let it heat up for one to two minutes. Place a little butter on each bagel, then place the bagel face down in the pan. Keep an eye on the heat so it doesn’t get too high and keep toasting the bagel for two minutes. After two minutes, flip the bagel over and toast it on the other side until it is golden brown, which should take around two minutes.
If you don’t have a non-stick pan, you can spray some baking spray onto a pan or place a pat or two of butter and let it melt. That way, the bagel won’t burn as you’re toasting it. After the bagel is finished toasting, you can remove it from the pan and put anything on it that you like.
2. Use Your Oven
This method allows you to essentially slow-roast your bagel. To get started, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or lower if you want a longer toasting time. Place the bagels on the middle rack of your oven, although you can place them on a baking sheet first, this is not necessary. Keep the bagels on that middle rack for about 10 minutes, but check on them after five minutes because all ovens are different. If you’ve turned the temperature lower than 350 degrees Fahrenheit, it may take 15 minutes or even longer for them to get done.
Since this method isn’t broiling but using the oven as a baking implement, the bagels should turn nice and golden brown and taste just perfect once they’re removed.
3. Use the Broiler on Your Oven
Unlike “baking” your bagel, you really have to keep an eye on it when you broil it because broiling doesn’t take very long at all. Broiling also occurs on one side of the bagel at a time, so you’ll need to flip it over once it’s done on one side. The good thing is, you can leave the oven door slightly ajar when you’re using the broiler, which makes it easier to keep an eye on your bagel. The important thing to keep in mind is that broiling is fast, so you’ll have to keep a close watch on the bagel the entire time it’s in there. In addition, make sure you use the topmost rack so that the heat is better dispersed.
4. Use Another Appliance
If you have to, you can use another appliance in your kitchen. If you think about it, you might be surprised by how well they work. Try using a pancake griddle, waffle maker, panini maker, or even a quesadilla maker. With the griddle, you simply place the bagel on top of it and use it like you would a pan on top of a stove. With the waffle, panini, or quesadilla maker, place the bagel in between and squeeze it until it turns the golden brown color you want. This might be a challenge because your bagel will be thick and these machines are usually made for much thinner items such as bread, but it should still work.
Just keep in mind that you don’t have to close these appliances all the way for it to cook your bagel properly. Squeeze lightly and keep an eye on the bagel, and make sure the temperature isn’t set too high. After just a few minutes, your bagel should be toasty, chewy, and delicious.
5. Use a Campfire
Okay, this one is the most unconventional method mentioned in this article, but it works! You can use a campfire at a campsite or even use your outdoor grill! You can place the bagels in a frying pan or on top of the grills if there are any, but keep an eye on them the entire time so they don’t burn. This method usually takes between 10 to 15 minutes for the bagels to cook all the way through, but it’s a great suggestion for people who love making and eating their meals outdoors.
