Preheat oven to 375°F (191°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add self-rising flour and 1 cup of cottage cheese into a large mixing bowl and mix with a spatula until flour is mostly incorporated. Use your hands to knead the remaining flour into the dough. If your dough is dry, add in the remaining 2 tbsp of cottage cheese. I did use all the cottage cheese but because different brands of cottage cheese may vary, I recommend just adding 1 cup first and then adding more if your dough is too dry. Your dough should be tacky but not sticky. This means that the dough should slightly stick to your hands but will easily peel off. If it sticks to your hands and won't come off easily, then it is too sticky.
Divide dough into six equal balls. Roll out one ball on a very lightly floured surface until it becomes a rope that is 3/4 inch thick. Try to make the rope as even and smooth as possible. Form a circle with the rope and pinch the ends together. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Place bagels onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them at least 1.5 inches apart. If desired, brush tops generously with egg wash. Sprinkle the surface of the bagels with your favorite bagel seasoning.
Bake bagels for about 25 minutes or until golden brown in color and cooked through. Let bagels fully cool before eating.
Notes
Egg wash is optional but your bagels will not have a golden finish without the egg wash and will be paler.
This recipe was originally tested with White Lily self-rising flour which has a lower protein amount than some other brands of self-rising flour. The amount of protein affects the amount of liquids needed. If you are using a self-rising flour that has 2 grams of protein per 1/4 cup, then you can make the recipe as written.
If you are using a self-rising flour brand that has 3 grams of protein per 1/4 cup, then remove 4 tbsp of flour from the amount stated in the recipe and replace with 4 tbsp of cornstarch.
Homemade self-rising flour: Whisk together 1 cup + 12 tbsp all purpose flour + 4 tbsp cornstarch + 3 tsp baking powder + 1/2 tsp salt. Make sure you are using an all purpose flour with 3 grams of protein per 1/4 cup. Most brands of all purpose flour have this amount of protein but there are a few brands like King Arthur Flour and Bob's Red Mill that contain higher protein
You can top these bagels with your preferred bagel seasoning but I would recommend using low salt ones because the bagels already have salt from the flour and cottage cheese.
To properly measure flour, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then level off with a knife. Do not directly dip the measuring cup into the flour because this results in too much flour. Use this method of measuring whether you are measuring self-rising flour or measuring all purpose flour to make your own self-rising flour.
I used salt-free everything bagel seasoning (Amazon | Walmart)*
*These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Make sure to use small curds cottage cheese. I have made this with whole milk and low fat cottage cheese. You do not need to drain the liquid from the cottage cheese.
Air Fryer version: The bagels can also be cooked in the air fryer. Preheat air fryer to 280F (138C) and cook bagels for 15 minutes until golden on top and cooked through.
Estimated nutrition does not include egg wash and seasonings.
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.