Spinach Cottage Cheese Flagels (Printable)

Chewy flatbread-style bagels filled with savory spinach and creamy cottage cheese, perfect for breakfast or brunch.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 3 1/2 cups bread flour
02 - 2 tsp instant dry yeast
03 - 1 1/4 cups warm water
04 - 2 tbsp sugar
05 - 1 1/2 tsp salt
06 - 2 tbsp olive oil

→ Filling

07 - 1 cup cottage cheese, well-drained
08 - 1 cup fresh spinach, finely chopped
09 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
10 - 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
11 - 1/4 tsp nutmeg

→ Topping

12 - 1 egg, beaten
13 - 2 tbsp sesame seeds or poppy seeds

# Directions:

01 - In a large bowl, combine bread flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add warm water and olive oil. Mix until a rough dough forms.
02 - Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
03 - Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
04 - In a bowl, combine cottage cheese, chopped spinach, Parmesan, black pepper, and nutmeg. Mix well and set aside.
05 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
06 - Punch down the dough and divide into 8 equal pieces.
07 - Flatten each piece into a 5-inch circle. Place 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of each, then pinch edges together to seal.
08 - Flip each filled dough ball seam-side down. Gently flatten with your palm to form a disc about 1-inch thick.
09 - Using your finger, poke a 1-inch hole in the center of each disc to create the flagel shape.
10 - Place flagels on the prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with beaten egg and sprinkle with seeds, if using.
11 - Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
12 - Cool slightly on a wire rack before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The filling stays creamy and secure inside thanks to a simple sealing technique that took me three tries to perfect
  • These freeze beautifully and reheat in the toaster oven for a quick breakfast that feels homemade
  • The nutmeg in the filling is the secret ingredient that makes people ask whats different about these
02 -
  • The hole will close up slightly during baking, so make it bigger than you think you need
  • Room temperature cottage cheese mixes much better with the spinach than cold straight from the fridge
  • These are best eaten warm from the oven but reheat beautifully at 350°F for 5 minutes
03 -
  • Weighing your flour instead of using cup measures gives you consistent results every single time
  • A water spray bottle misted into the oven right when you put the flagels in creates extra steam for an even chewier crust

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