My Homemade Bagels Recipes

HOMEMADE BAGELS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add the butter, sugar, salt and egg yolk; mix well. Stir in enough flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Punch dough down. Shape into 12 balls. Push thumb through centers to form a 1-1/2-in. hole. Stretch and shape dough to form an even ring. Place on a floured surface. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes; flatten bagels slightly. , Fill a Dutch oven two-thirds full with water; bring to a boil. Drop bagels, 2 at a time, into boiling water. Cook for 45 seconds; turn and cook 45 seconds longer. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain well on paper towels. , Sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds if desired. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 400° until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

HOMEMADE BAGELS RECIPE

Steps:

• 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.
• Add the flour, brown sugar, and salt. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. The dough is very stiff and will look somewhat dry.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With lightly floured hands, knead the dough for 4-5 minutes. The dough is too heavy for the mixer to knead it!
• 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.
• Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• 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 above for a visual. Loosely cover the shaped bagels with kitchen towel and rest for a few minutes as you prepare the water bath.
• Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).
• 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.
• 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. 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.
• 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.

HOMEMADE BAGELS

Steps:

• FREE-STANDING MIXER METHOD: Place the flour, yeast, sugar and salt into the bowl of the free-standing mixer fitted with the dough hook. Turn onto a low speed to gently mix, then gradually pour in 450ml of tepid water and continue to mix until everything is combined. Turn the speed up to medium and knead for about 15 minutes. This dough is quite stiff so make sure the mixer doesn't overheat. Then follow the recipe from step 2, below. HAND MIX METHOD: Place the flour in a large bowl or on your largest clean surface. Make a well in the middle and pour in 450ml of tepid water. Add the yeast to the water, then gradually incorporate the flour into the yeast and water, whisking it together with a fork until you can't move the fork anymore. Using clean hands, gather it all up into a ball, adding more flour if the dough is a little sticky. Transfer to a flour-dusted surface and keep the dough moving; kneading, pushing and stretching for about 10 minutes (this is a stiff dough!), until you have a silky, smooth and elastic dough.
• Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean, damp tea towel, and leave to prove for 1½ to 2 hours, or until it's doubled in size - ideally in a warm, draught-free place.
• Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Line 2 large flat baking trays with baking paper. Knock the air out of the dough by punching it with your fist, then shape into 12 equal balls (you can weigh the balls if you want them to be exactly the same size), now push a hole in the centre of each ball with your thumb, then gently stretch out the dough by spinning it on your two index fingers, until you have a bagel ring shape and the hole in the middle is around 2cm wide.
• Fill a large shallow saucepan with boiling kettle water. Reduce to a simmer then whisk in the baking soda (this gives the bagels that chewy, crispy texture) and a small pinch of salt. Cook the bagels in batches of six, for a minute on each side.
• Lift them out using a slotted spoon, draining off the water, and place on the lined baking tray. Beat the egg with a fork then egg-wash the bagels, and sprinkle with the seeds, if using.
• Bake the bagels for 20 to 25 minutes, until they are a deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• To serve, cut with a serrated knife and top with your choice of fillings. I like peanut butter and jam, smoked salmon and cream cheese, or salt beef, mustard and pickles.