It's been a looong time since I made homemade bagels, but I have a new book coming out titled Breakfast Breads and Sweet Treats (coming in September from Reedy Press) and my publisher insisted that bagels had to be in it. But I've never been entirely satisfied with my bagel recipe and technique, so I did a lot more research and experimentation to create the recipe that follows.
A few important points
A few important points
- If you want chewy, dense bagels, bread flour is best, which has a higher protein content than all-purpose flour.
- Be careful not to allow the balls of dough to over-rise before the shaping and boiling process, or the result will be somewhat flattened bagels with a wrinkled surface.
- Some recipes direct you to add your toppings as soon as the bagels come out of the boiling water, but I find that using an egg wash makes the toppings stick better and makes for a shiny, golden brown crust.
- In addition to toppings, you can add just about anything to this dough: onion flakes, granulated garlic, cinnamon and raisins, mini chocolate chips, etc. My personal preference is for plain bagels, toasted, with flavored cream cheese or compound butters.
Homemade
Bagels
Dough
1 ½ cups warm water
1 package active dry yeast
2 teaspoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
3½ cups bread flour (see note)
Boiling Process
Water
3 tablespoons of honey
Baking
Egg wash
Toppings like poppy seed, sesame seed, onion flakes, etc.
Place the warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a medium mixing bowl and add the yeast and brown sugar. Stir to dissolve and allow to develop for 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the salt, then add the flour, about one cup at a time, with the mixer on medium, using the dough hook. When all the flour is fully incorporated, knead it for about 10 minutes in the mixer, 15 minutes if you knead it by hand. The dough will be very stiff. Turn the dough out onto a clean counter top and divide into six equal piece for large bagels or eight pieces for slightly smaller ones. Line one large or two smaller baking sheets with parchment paper. Shape each portion of dough into a round ball and then place them at least 3” apart on the baking sheets. Cover the pans with cling wrap. Don’t use a dish towel because the stiff dough tends to dry out. You can also place a couple of small bowls of warm water under the plastic (see ph0to). Place the pans in a warm place and let the dough balls rise for an hour or until nearly doubled. Do not allow them to over-rise, or the bagels will be misshapen and wrinkly—I know this from experience!
After the dough balls have risen, take your forefinger and make a hole in the center of each ball. Spread the hole out carefully to shape the bagel shapes (the hole should be about 1½” across). Cover the pans again with cling wrap while you get the water boiling. Preheat your oven to 375° F.
Fill a wide pot about 2/3 of the way with water (I use a stock pot), add the honey and bring to a medium boil. Use a spatula to gently drop the bagels into the boiling water one at a time. Boil for 90 seconds, flip over and boil for another 90 seconds. Remove and set on a clean, dry cloth or towel to drain briefly (do NOT use paper towels) and then place them back on the baking sheets. Once they are all boiled, brush the tops of the bagels with whole egg wash and add toppings if desired.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. If you use an instant read thermometer, the interior temp should be above 200 ° F. Let bagels cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
1 ½ cups warm water
1 package active dry yeast
2 teaspoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
3½ cups bread flour (see note)
Boiling Process
Water
3 tablespoons of honey
Baking
Egg wash
Toppings like poppy seed, sesame seed, onion flakes, etc.
Place the warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a medium mixing bowl and add the yeast and brown sugar. Stir to dissolve and allow to develop for 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the salt, then add the flour, about one cup at a time, with the mixer on medium, using the dough hook. When all the flour is fully incorporated, knead it for about 10 minutes in the mixer, 15 minutes if you knead it by hand. The dough will be very stiff. Turn the dough out onto a clean counter top and divide into six equal piece for large bagels or eight pieces for slightly smaller ones. Line one large or two smaller baking sheets with parchment paper. Shape each portion of dough into a round ball and then place them at least 3” apart on the baking sheets. Cover the pans with cling wrap. Don’t use a dish towel because the stiff dough tends to dry out. You can also place a couple of small bowls of warm water under the plastic (see ph0to). Place the pans in a warm place and let the dough balls rise for an hour or until nearly doubled. Do not allow them to over-rise, or the bagels will be misshapen and wrinkly—I know this from experience!
After the dough balls have risen, take your forefinger and make a hole in the center of each ball. Spread the hole out carefully to shape the bagel shapes (the hole should be about 1½” across). Cover the pans again with cling wrap while you get the water boiling. Preheat your oven to 375° F.
Fill a wide pot about 2/3 of the way with water (I use a stock pot), add the honey and bring to a medium boil. Use a spatula to gently drop the bagels into the boiling water one at a time. Boil for 90 seconds, flip over and boil for another 90 seconds. Remove and set on a clean, dry cloth or towel to drain briefly (do NOT use paper towels) and then place them back on the baking sheets. Once they are all boiled, brush the tops of the bagels with whole egg wash and add toppings if desired.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. If you use an instant read thermometer, the interior temp should be above 200 ° F. Let bagels cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
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