When in doubt, freeze your bagels instead
To keep bagels fresh for more than a week, the freezer is an excellent option. In the freezer, bagels can remain fresh for up to three months. Before freezing, slice your bagels in half or, for a St. Louis twist, cut them like a loaf of bread. (Trust us, this will make things much easier later on.) Wrap each half in plastic wrap or foil, then place them all in a zip-top bag. When you're ready to enjoy one, let it thaw on the counter until it softens (about 30 minutes), then heat it as you normally would, whether in the oven, toaster, or air fryer.
While the counter and freezer are good places to store bagels, the fridge is a definite no. Bagels can go stale quickly in the refrigerator because the cold, moist environment causes the starch in the bread to recrystallize, leading to a hard texture.
If your bagel does go stale unexpectedly, there's a simple way to bring it back to life. Start by preheating your oven to a low setting. Next, run the bagel under warm water to moisten it. Wrap it in foil and bake it in the oven for five minutes, and voilà! The bagel should absorb the moisture and become fluffy again. If that doesn’t work, try toasting stale bagels next time to enhance their flavor, or follow our storage tips to avoid the problem in the first place.
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