Fantastic (and Easy!) Homemade Bagels
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4.6
86 reviews
Excellent
Fantastic (and Easy!) Homemade Bagels
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Fantastic (and Easy!) Homemade Bagels start with a simple overnight starter combining bread flour, water, and yeast. The next day, this starter is mixed with additional flour, water, salt, and yeast to form a stiff dough that is kneaded and allowed to rise before shaping into bagels. The dough balls rest before being boiled briefly in malted water and then baked to create chewy, well-structured bagels with a golden crust.
Description
This bagel recipe begins with creating a starter the day before by mixing small amounts of flour, water, and yeast and letting it ferment overnight. This starter imparts flavor and improves dough texture.
On the baking day, the starter is combined with additional bread flour, water, salt, and yeast to make a stiff dough. Kneading develops the gluten structure, important for bagel chewiness. After a first rise, the dough is gently deflated and given a second rise, then divided into pieces to be shaped into smooth balls that rest before boiling.
Boiling takes place in water with malt powder or sugar, which aids browning and texture development. After boiling, the bagels are baked until golden. Using weight measurements for flour is recommended for accuracy and consistency in results.
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Ingredients
Starter:
- ½ cup bread flour unbleached
- ¼ cup water cool
- Pinch instant yeast I used active-dry yeast and it worked great
Dough:
- 4 cups bread flour unbleached
- 1 ¼ cups water cool
- 1 ¾ teaspoons salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast again, I used active-dry yeast and it worked great
Water Bath:
- water to fill a 10"-diameter pan about 1" deep
- 1 tablespoon non-diastatic malt powder I used brown sugar, or brown sugar
Instructions
- Combine the starter ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, cover, and let rest at room temperature overnight.
- Next day, combine the puffy starter with all of the dough ingredients and knead—by hand, electric mixer, or bread machine—to form a stiff but not dry dough. Since we're using a high-protein bread flour here, you might notice it takes a bit more effort and time to develop the gluten. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl or large (at least 8-cup) measuring cup, cover, and set it aside to rise for 1 hour. Gently deflate the dough, and let it rise for another 30 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a work surface, and divide it into 12 pieces. (I divided the dough into 10 pieces since I like my bagels a tad big larger.) Roll each piece into a smooth, round ball. 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 and malt (or sugar) to a very gentle boil in a wide-diameter (about 10") pan. A 10" electric frying pan works well here. 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 till it's about 2 inches in diameter (the entire bagel will be about 3 ½" across). (Again, mine were a bit larger than this.) Place each bagel on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
- 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, or the end of a wooden spoon, remove the bagels from the water and place them back on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining bagels.
- Bake the bagels for about 25 minutes, or until they're as deep brown as you like. To top with seeds, remove them from the oven after about 15 minutes, spray with water, and sprinkle with seeds. Return to the oven to finish baking. Remove the bagels from the oven, and cool completely on a rack.
Notes
- Weighing ingredients, especially flour, ensures accurate measurement and consistent dough texture compared to volume.
- Active-dry yeast can be used interchangeably with instant yeast with good results.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
1 Bagel
Calories
178kcal
(9%)
Carbohydrates
36g
(12%)
Protein
6g
(12%)
Fat
1g
(2%)
Saturated Fat
1g
(5%)
Sodium
341mg
(14%)
Fiber
2g
(8%)
Sugar
1g
(2%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 12bagels
Amount Per Serving
Calories 178 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 Bagel | |
| Calories | 178kcal | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 36g | 12% |
| Protein | 6g | 12% |
| Fat | 1g | 2% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Sodium | 341mg | 14% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 1g | 2% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.6
86 reviews
Excellent
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