Homemade Bagels
Nothing starts the day better than a fresh bagel out of the oven with your favorite topping baked in like everything seasoning, salt, sesame seeds, garlic or cinnamon sugar.
Ingredients
- 2 tsp yeast, active dry or instant
- 4 1/2 tsp white sugar
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 3 1/2 cups flour, bread or all purpose
- 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 1/4 cup warm water may not use all
Toppings
- Everything Seasoning, Sesame Seeds, Poppy Seeds, Minced Onion, Salt, Cinnamon Sugar
Instructions
- In a bowl, add yeast, sugar and 1/2 cup warm water. Do not mix. Let sit for 5 minutes. Then blend till incorporated.
- Put flour and salt in to a large bowl. Gently mix with fork. Make a well in center.
- Once yeast mixture is combined, add to flour well.
- Add 1/2 cup warm water to well. Mix all together. You may need to add a little more warm water to the dough if it is too dry. Try adding in 1/4 cup increments. You shouldn't need more than a 1 1/4 cup total. The dough should be smooth and firm.
- Flour your surface, and knead the dough for about 10 minutes until you feel the elasticity of the dough. It should be smooth as well. Form in to a ball.
- Note: You can use a KitchenAid Mixer and dough hook. Be careful as bagel dough is very stiff and heavy. You don't want to burn out your motor. Time would be approximately 5 minutes if using this method to knead dough.
- Pour olive oil in to a bowl to just coat the bowl. Place dough ball in bowl making sure the oil coats the whole thing. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place for two hours.
- After two hours, the dough should have doubled in size. Punch it down and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Note: if you want to make the dough in advance of boiling and baking, you can put in refrigerator overnight. Tightly wrap dough in plastic wrap. When ready to make bagels, let come to room temperature on counter before next steps.
- When dough is ready, take dough ball and place on counter. No need to flour surface. Cut in to 8 even sized pieces. See photos for example of easy method to get same size balls.
- Roll each ball in your hand, smoothing the dough and tucking in to underside.
- Once all eight are created, cover with damp towel for 10 minutes.
- Create a hole in the center with your finger and gently stretch dough to form bagel shape. Cover with damp towel while water comes to a boil.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Bring large pot of water to boil. Add honey to water. Once ready, carefully place a few bagels in pot. Do not crowd. They will sink first and then will rise. Boil for 1-2 minutes per side.
- Once both sides are done, remove bagels from water and place on oiled or silicone pan liner. Top immediately with whatever seasoning you like.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes. Given oven variations, suggest removing at 20 minutes the first time you make recipe.
- Remove from oven and place bagels on cooling rack.
- Enjoy!
