Bagel Recipe

Homemade Bagels Recipe

Make fresh bagels right at home with this tested dough recipe. Don’t skip the water bath and egg wash– both provide an extra chewy and golden brown crust.

Prep: 2h10min

Total: 3h

Yield: 8

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) warm water (between 100-110°F, 38-43°C)
• 2 and 3/4 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast*
• 4 cups (520g) bread flour (spoon & leveled), plus more for work surface and hands*
• 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar or packed light or dark brown sugar (or barley malt syrup)*
• 2 teaspoons salt
• coating the bowl: nonstick spray or 2 teaspoons olive oil
• egg wash: 1 egg white beaten with 1 Tablespoon water
• 2 quarts water
• 1/4 cup (60g) honey (or barley malt syrup)*

Instruction:

1. Whisk the warm water and yeast together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
2. Add the flour, brown sugar, and salt. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. The dough is very stiff and will look somewhat dry.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With lightly floured hands, knead the dough for 6-7 minutes. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. If not, keep kneading. The dough is too heavy for the mixer to knead it.
4. Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 60-90 minutes or until double in size.
5. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
6. When the dough is ready, punch it down to release any air bubbles. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. (Just eyeball it– doesn’t need to be perfect!) Shape each piece into a ball. Press your index finger through the center of each ball to make a hole about 1.5 – 2 inches in diameter. Watch video below for a visual. Loosely cover the shaped bagels with kitchen towel and rest for a few minutes as you prepare the water bath.
7. Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).
8. Fill a large, wide pot with 2 quarts of water. Whisk in the honey. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-high. Drop bagels in, 2-4 at a time, making sure they have enough room to float around. Cook the bagels for 1 minute on each side.
9. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash on top and around the sides of each bagel. Place 4 bagels onto each lined baking sheet.
10. Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. You want the bagels to be a dark golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow bagels to cool on the baking sheets for 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
11. Slice, toast, top, whatever you want! Cover leftover bagels tightly and store at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

New York-Style Bagel Recipe

As a native New Yorker, I know there’s nothing better than a fresh bagel schmeared with cream cheese. I no longer live in New York City, and I constantly crave the good old-fashioned bagels I grew up on– flavorful, modestly sweet, chewy ones with soft, shiny crusts. These bagels are made the classic way: You boil them in water for a couple of minutes before you bake them. This is probably one of the most bizarre things a person can do to the dough, but it works. So, if good bagels cannot be found where you live, worry no more; this recipe is infinitely adaptable, and the little bit of effort you put into making these bagels is well worth it.

Prep: 20min

Total: 2h

Serving Size: 1 Bagel

Nutrition Facts: calories 228.4 calories, Carbohydrate 44.4 grams carbohydrates, Cholesterol 0 milligrams cholesterol, Fiber 1.7 grams fiber, Protein 6 grams protein, servingSize 1 Bagel, Sodium 441 grams sodium, Sugar 2.4 grams sugar, Trans Fat 1.4 grams trans fat

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons / 6 g active dry yeast
• 4 ½ teaspoons / 19 g granulated sugar
• 1 ¼ cups / 300 ml warm water (you may need ± ¼ cup /60 ml more)
• 3 ½ cups / 440 g bread flour or high gluten flour (you may need up to 1/2 cup / 60g for kneading)
• 1 ½ teaspoons / 6 g salt
• Optional Toppings: (Refer to Notes)

Instruction:

1. In ½ cup /120ml of the warm water, pour in the sugar and yeast. Do not stir. Let it sit for five minutes, and then stir the yeast and sugar mixture until it all dissolves in the water.
2. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in the yeast and sugar mixture.
3. Pour 1/3 cup / 80ml of warm water into the well. Mix and stir in the rest of the water (the scant 1/2 cup / 100ml that is remaining), as needed. Depending on where you live, you may need to add an additional couple tablespoons to about ¼ cup/60ml of water. You want a moist and firm dough after you have mixed it.
4. On a floured countertop, knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Try working in as much flour as possible to form a firm and stiff dough.
5. Lightly brush a large bowl with oil and turn the dough to coat. Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in size. Punch the dough down, and let it rest for another 10 minutes.
6. Carefully divide the dough into 8 pieces (I used a scale to be extra precise, but it’s not necessary). Shape each piece into a round. Now, take a dough ball, and press it gently against the countertop (or whatever work surface you’re using) moving your hand and the ball in a circular motion pulling the dough into itself while reducing the pressure on top of the dough slightly until a perfect dough ball forms (as pictured). Repeat with 7 other dough rounds.
7. Coat a finger in flour, and gently press your finger into the center of each dough ball to form a ring. Stretch the ring to about ⅓ the diameter of the bagel and place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Repeat the same step with the remaining dough.
8. After shaping the bagels and placing them on the cookie sheet, cover with a damp kitchen towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425ºF / 220ºC / Gas Mark 7.
9. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Reduce the heat. Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to lower the bagels into the water. Boil as many as you are comfortable with boiling. Once the bagels are in, it shouldn’t take too long for them to float to the top (a couple seconds). Let them sit there for 1 minute, and then flip them over to boil for another minute. Extend the boiling times to 2 minutes each, if you’d prefer a chewier bagel (results will give you a more New York-Style bagel with this option).
10. If you want to add toppings to your bagels, do so as you take them out of the water. Alternatively, you can use an egg wash to get the toppings to stick before baking the bagels. You may want to use the “Optional Toppings” listed above to top the bagels. Use just one topping, or a combination to make your own Everything Bagel Seasoning.
11. Once all the bagels have boiled (and have been topped with your choice of toppings), transfer them to an oiled or parchment-lined baking sheet.
12. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, or until golden brown (I usually err on the side of 20 minutes).
13. Cool on a wire rack (Or, if you’re impatient like I am, slice one of these babies open and spread on some of your favorite cream cheese or softened butter. Take a bite… Oh babyyy!)

Bagels

These days, every supermarket, country store, and corner deli seems to have a ready supply of top-flight bagels, as do shops that are devoted exclusively to bagels, their accompanying spreads, and bagel sandwiches with all sorts of interesting fillings. So, with all kinds of good bagels available just about wherever you turn, why make your own? First, so you know what’s in ’em; who wants azodicarbonide in their pumpernickel bagel? Second, so you can customize them to your taste, as in pesto bagels with sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts; and third, it’s easy and fun! If you can make bread dough, you can easily make bagels. These are a great treat to make with the young baker in your life.

Prep: 30min

Total: 2h50min

Yield: 8

Serving Size: 108g

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 108g, calories 230 calories, Carbohydrate 46g, Cholesterol 0mg, Fiber 2g, Protein 9g, Sodium 590mg, Sugar 1g, Fat 1g, Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon (9g) instant yeast
• 4 cups (480g) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
• 2 teaspoons (12g) salt
• 1 tablespoon (9g) non-diastatic malt powder or 1 tablespoon (14g) dark brown sugar or barley malt syrup
• 1 1/3 cups (303g) water lukewarm
• 2 quarts (1814g) water
• 2 tablespoons (18g) non-diastatic malt powder or 2 tablespoons (28g) dark brown sugar or barley malt syrup
• 1 tablespoon (14g) granulated sugar

Instruction:

Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Combine all of the dough ingredients and knead vigorously for 10 minutes (if you’re using an electric mixer) or up to 15 minutes (if you’re kneading by hand). Since we’re using a high-protein bread flour here, it takes a bit more effort and time to develop the gluten. The dough will be quite stiff; if you’re using a mixer it will “thwap” the sides of the bowl, and hold its shape (without spreading at all) when you stop the mixer., Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and set it aside to rise until it’s noticeably puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours., Lightly grease two baking sheets, or line them with parchment and grease the parchment. Transfer the dough to a work surface, and divide it into eight pieces (for large bagels), or 12 pieces (for standard-size bagels)., Working with one piece at a time, roll it into a smooth, round ball. Place the balls on one of the prepared baking sheets. Cover the balls with plastic wrap, and let them rest for 30 minutes. They’ll puff up very slightly., While the dough is resting, prepare the water bath by heating the water, non-diastatic malt powder (or brown sugar or barley malt syrup), and sugar to a very gentle boil in a large, wide-diameter pan. Preheat your oven to 425°F., Use your index finger to poke a hole through the center of each ball, then twirl the dough on your finger to stretch the hole until it’s about 1 1/2″ to 2″ in diameter. Place six bagels on each of the baking sheets., Transfer the bagels, four at a time if possible, to the simmering water. Increase the heat under the pan to bring the water back up to a gently simmering boil, if necessary. Cook the bagels for 2 minutes, flip them over, and cook 1 minute more. Using a skimmer or strainer, remove the bagels from the water and place them back on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining bagels., Bake the bagels for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they’re as deep brown as you like, turning them over about 15 minutes into the baking time (this will help them remain tall and round). Remove the bagels from the oven, and cool completely on a rack.

Easy Homemade Bagels

FAQ

What is the secret to making bagels?

• Moisture: Wetter dough means crispier bagels. …
• Water temp: The colder the better. …
• Dry active yeast: Let it chill. …
• Flour: Embrace the gluten. …
• Mixing: Low and slow is the way to go. …
• The rise: Your kitchen climate is A-okay. …
• Flavor kick: After the proof.

Is it cheaper to make your own bagels?

Do they boil bagels before they bake them?

What makes bagel dough different?