Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. This combines the leavening agents evenly throughout the flour, ensuring your bagels will have a light, tender crumb. Set aside while you prepare the wet ingredients.

Pour the cottage cheese into a food processor or blender and blend for 1-2 minutes until completely smooth and creamy with no lumps. Blending the cottage cheese is crucial—it breaks down the curds and creates a uniform, wet base that will incorporate smoothly into the flour mixture. This step transforms the texture and ensures your dough has the right consistency.

Add the blended cottage cheese from Step 2 to the dry ingredients from Step 1, stirring with a spatula or wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. The dough will be slightly sticky and hold together but not overly smooth—this is exactly right. I find that mixing gently by hand for the last few turns helps me feel when the dough is just combined without overworking it, which keeps the bagels tender.

Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time on a lightly floured surface, roll it into a ball, then poke your thumb through the center and gently stretch it into a bagel shape with a hole about 1-1.5 inches in diameter. If the dough is sticky, dust your hands lightly with flour as you work. Place each shaped bagel on a parchment-lined tray or air fryer basket.

Whisk the half egg in a small bowl until well combined and golden. Brush each bagel generously with the egg wash using a pastry brush, then immediately sprinkle sesame seeds and dried onion flakes over the top while the egg is still wet so they adhere properly. I like to press the seeds gently into the dough so they don't fall off during cooking.

Preheat your air fryer to 300°F. Place the bagels in a single layer in the air fryer basket (you may need to work in batches depending on your air fryer size). Air fry for 13 minutes until the bagels are light golden brown and cooked through. They should sound slightly hollow when tapped on the bottom.