Perfect Homemade Bagels
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 tablespoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
- 4 cups (568 g) bread flour (see note)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups warm water
Water Bath:
- 2 to 3 quarts water
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (see note for honey option)
Egg Wash:
- 1 large egg white
- 1 tablespoon water
Optional Toppings:
- Sesame seeds, Everything Bagel seasoning, grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese, coarse salt, cinnamon and sugar, etc.
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine all of the dough ingredients and mix on low speed until the dough comes together. The dough will be fairly stiff (but shouldn't be dry).
- Increase the speed to medium and knead the dough for 10 minutes. This is a high-gluten dough and the long kneading time is necessary to develop the gluten.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with lightly greased plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until noticeably puffy.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased work surface and divide the dough into eight equal pieces, about 115 g/4 ounces each. Roll each piece of dough into a smooth, taut ball. Let the balls of dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Line two half sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly grease with cooking spray.
- Use your thumb to poke a hole through the very center of each ball then use both thumbs together to twirl and stretch the dough until the hole is 1 to 2 inches in diameter (the bagel will be around 4 inches across). Place the shaped bagels on one of the prepared baking sheets.
- For the water bath, add the water and sugars (or honey - see note) to a large, wide pan or pot and bring to a boil.
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Transfer the bagels, three or four at a time, to the simmering water. I like to gently re-stretch the center of the bagel if it has closed up while the bagels have rested. This is optional; if you do the same, make sure to stretch gently so as not to deflate and compress the bagel.
- Cook the bagels for 1 minute. Flip and cook for another minute. Use a wide spatula to lift each bagel up, letting the excess water drain back into the pot. Place the boiled bagels onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them several inches apart. I bake six bagels per half sheet pan.
- Repeat with the remaining bagels.
- For the egg wash, whisk together the egg and water. Brush the top and sides of each bagel and then sprinkle with desired toppings: sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning, cinnamon and sugar, coarse salt, grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese, or other toppings of choice. If leaving the bagels plain, the egg wash is optional.
- Bake the bagels for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove the bagels from the oven, and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely (don't let them cool completely on the baking sheet as they have a tendency to stick due to the sugar/water bath).
Notes
Flour: I have tested this recipe in multiple locations (currently I live at 2,500 feet in a dry climate, but I made this recipe when I lived at sea level in a semi-humid climate and also when I lived at 6,200 feet elevation). The amount of flour listed in the recipe has been just about spot on for every location. Using the weight measure is a safer bet than measuring in cups. If you do measure in cups, lightly fluff the flour before scooping in the cup and leveling off. If you live in an excessively dry climate, you may want to start with 1/4 cup less flour and add remaining flour only if the dough is sticking to the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Bread Machine: to use a bread machine, place all of the dough ingredients in the pan of the machine, program the machine for Dough or Manual, and press Start. Check the dough after 10 minutes; it should be quite stiff, and won’t have formed a smooth ball. The dough will feel quite firm when you poke your finger into it. Allow the machine to complete its cycle, then continue with the recipe.
Honey: more often than not, I replace the 3 tablespoons sugar with 3 to 4 tablespoons honey.
Multiple Baking Sheets: if you are baking the bagels on multiple baking sheets and only have one oven, it's ok for the 2nd baking sheet to rest and bake after the first one. Avoid baking two baking sheets at once - the bagels on the bottom baking sheet likely won't brown well (if at all).
Increasing the Recipe for One Dozen Bagels: I almost always increase the recipe to make 1 dozen bagels (we love having them in the freezer). To do so, use the following measurements:
1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
6 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon grown sugar
2 1/4 cups warm water
6 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon grown sugar
2 1/4 cups warm water