Bagel Recipe
You only need simple pantry staples to make this delicious bagel recipe! They're so soft, chewy, and easy to make from scratch!
Servings 8 bagels
Calories 334kcal
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Stand mixer with dough hook or wooden spoon
- Baking Sheets
- Parchment paper
- Large wide pot
- Spider strainer or slotted spoon
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 1½ cups warm water 100-110F (360ml)
- 1 tablespoon sugar or barley malt syrup
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (0.25-ounce packet/7g)
- 4½ cups bread flour plus more for sprinkling (540g)
- 2 teaspoons salt
For Boiling and Assembly:
- 3 quarts water (2.8L)
- 3 tablespoons sugar or barley malt syrup
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Toppings such as everything bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried minced onion
Instructions
For the Dough:
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the water, sugar or malt syrup, and yeast and stir together. Let stand until the mixture is very foamy, about 10 minutes.
- To the yeast mixture, add the flour and salt. Mix together using a wooden spoon or turn the mixer on low speed and mix until a dough starts to form. If mixing by hand, turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand until a smooth and elastic dough is formed, about 10 to 15 minutes. If using a stand mixer, continue mixing on low speed for about 10 to 15 minutes. (The dough should start to pull cleanly away from the bowl and “slap” the sides while mixing after about 8 minutes. Add another tablespoon of flour as needed.) Transfer the dough to a large lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly grease the paper.
- Punch down the dough and turn out onto a clean work surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. (For smaller bagels, divide into 12.) Shape each piece into a ball by cupping your hand around the dough ball and moving it in a circular pattern. (This will tighten the ball.)
- Gently flatten each ball. Lightly oil your hands, then press your finger into the center and through the dough creating a small hole. Pick up the dough and begin stretching it in a circular motion, widening the hole and creating a donut shape. When the hole is about 2 inches wide, place it on the greased parchment paper, spacing each one a few inches apart. Loosely cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
For the Boiling and Assembly:
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425F.
- Place the water in a large wide pot and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer and stir in the sugar or syrup and baking soda.
- Working with two or three at a time, add bagels to the pot of water. (They might sink to the bottom of the pot.) Cook for 1 minute. Using a spider or slotted spoon, flip them over and cook for another minute. (They should be floating at this point if they weren’t already.) Remove each bagel, letting the excess water drain off, and place it back on the baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle on or dip in the toppings of your choice, if desired.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Flip the bagels over and continue baking for 5 to 10 minutes or until deep golden brown. (Flipping creates a more even bake and helps keep their round shape.) Let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before serving. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Bagels freeze great! Just cut in half before freezing.
Video
Notes
- The time it takes for your bagel dough to rise depends on the temperature of your kitchen, as it’ll take longer to rise if you have a cold kitchen. The ideal temperature for the dough to rise is between 75 to 78F. If your kitchen is on the colder side, you can place your bagel dough in an OFF oven with the light on.
- Avoid adding too much flour to the dough by measuring your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the bagel dough is a common mistake. The best way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one, then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
- Make sure the water is between 110 to 120F. If your water is too hot, it will kill the yeast, but if the water is not warm enough, it won’t activate it.
- Barley malt syrup can be found in some grocery stores or ordered online. It gives bagels their signature flavor, but delicious ones can be made without it! Just use granulated or brown sugar in its place.
- Check the dough for doneness after kneading by doing the window pane test. Pinch a small ball of dough off, then stretch it into a thin square. It should become thin enough to see light through without breaking. If it breaks or tears, keep kneading.
- For the most even coating of topping on your bagels, dip them into a shallow bowl of toppings instead of sprinkling them on top.
- Be gentle when shaping and handling the bagel dough for smooth and shiny bagels. If you squeeze the dough too roughly, the bagels may look wrinkly when they come out of the oven. However, not to worry, they’ll still be just as delicious!
Nutrition
Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 744mg | Potassium: 166mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 151mg | Iron: 2mg