How to Make Bagels that are perfectly chewy, golden brown, and flavorful! This homemade bagel recipe is so easy to make - plus I share tons of topping ideas and bagel tips.
Combine all the dough ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Knead on medium-low speed for about 7 to 10 minutes (or knead vigorously by hand for 10 to 15 minutes). The dough will be stiff yet tacky and hold its shape without spreading. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise until puffy but not necessarily doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Starting with the first ball you formed, pierce one or two fingers through the center to form a hole. Twirl the dough around your fingers to stretch out the hole to about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Repeat with remaining dough. Place all shaped bagels on two greased parchment lined half sheet pans (5 bagels on each pan).
Cover and let them rest for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until visibly puffed but not doubled.
Gently transfer bagels, two to four at a time (don't overcrowd the pot), to the boiling water. Cook the bagels for 1 to 2 minutes (2 minutes for a stronger crust and chew), gently flip them over, and continue cooking for 1 minute. Use a skimmer to remove the bagels back to the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining bagels. Beat the egg white with 1 tablespoon of water and brush egg wash on the smooth side of each bagel. Place your desired topping(s) in a shallow dish, and place each bagel, egg white-side down, onto the toppings to coat.
Bake the two pans of bagels for 17-25 minutes, or until they reach your desired brown color and exterior crunch, rotating the pans and switching shelves halfway through. Remove the bagels from the oven and cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes.
*If you don’t have instant yeast, you can always substitute with the same amount of active dry yeast. Simply add the active dry yeast to the warm water and let it proof for 5 minutes before proceeding with the recipe.
*To prep the dough in advance, please see the pink tip box above the recipe for more details on reducing the amount of yeast.
If you can't find barley malt syrup (which I find on Amazon or at Whole Foods), use brown sugar.
Bagels https://handletheheat.com/how-to-make-bagels/ March 1, 2022