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Speciality Bread

Bagels

12 bagels
Vegan Diet, Vegetarian Diet, Polish Boiling, Baking

Bagels, with their unique chewy texture and signature hole in the middle, have become a beloved staple in many parts of the world. They're not just enjoyable to eat, but also surprisingly straightforward to make at home. With my detailed recipe, you'll discover the joy of crafting your own bagels...

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... from scratch. From mixing and kneading the dough to boiling and baking it to golden perfection, each step is a fun and rewarding experience. And the best part? You get to enjoy fresh, homemade bagels that are far superior to store-bought ones. So, roll up your sleeves and get ready to embark on a delightful culinary adventure. By following all the steps of my recipe, you won't just be a bagel enthusiast, but a true bagel master. And remember, the joy of cooking isn't just in the eating, but also in the process of creating something delicious with your own hands. Happy baking!

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Tom Tom Founder
January 5, 2024
  • 30 min.
  • 3+ h.
  • 3/5
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Ingredients:

Bagel dough:

Boiling Bath:

Brushing:

  • ¼ cup of milk (adjust if needed)

* You can use any rye flour you have available.
** You can optionally substitute barley malt syrup for the more cost-effective alternative, molasses.

Optionally sprinkle with:

  • Black and/or white sesame seeds
  • Crushed pepper flakes
  • Poppyseeds
  • Sunflower seeds or any other kind of seeds
  • Sea salt (do not use if you are going to freeze or refrigerate – this makes them soggy)

Tools:

Recipes

Best served with:

Creamy Spread with Garlic and Chives
Cheese – Garlic Dip/ Spread
Sardines Dip/Spread

Directions:

1. Dough:

1.1. Place into a kitchen mixer with hook attachment:

4 cups of bread flour
½ cup of rye flour
1 TBSP of active dry yeasts
1 TBSP of granulated sugar
2 TSP of salt

Briefly stir with a hand whisk just enough to combine all ingredients (about 1 minute).

1.2. Add:

2 cups of water – warm, about 80 to 90°F (preheat in a kettle or microwave)
1 TBSP of barley malt syrup

Knead on low speed until all ingredients are partially incorporated (about 1 – 2 minutes).

1.3.

Then increase speed to medium-high and knead until the dough is compact and stops sticking to the bowl (usually about 2 – 3 minutes).

2. Rising the dough:

2.1.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and cover with plastic wrap.

2.2.

Let it rise in a warm place until it’s doubled in size (about 2 – 3 hours).

3. Form dough balls:

Important:
Work on a non-floured surface (countertop).

3.1. Place the dough on a work surface and, using a bowl scraper, separate the dough into 12 even pieces for regular-sized bagels (about 3.5 OZ each).

Tip:
If you prefer jumbo bagels, separate the dough into 8 even pieces (about 5 OZ each).

3.2. Form each piece of dough into a dough ball by stretching it:

Important:
Work one by one.

3.2.1.

To stretch the dough, place the bowl scraper at a slight angle against the bottom part of the dough while making sure that the bottom of the bowl scraper is touching the table.

3.2.2.

Then, keeping one hand on the top of the dough, push the scraper to move the dough slightly. The dough will roll slightly and stretch at the same time.

3.2.3. Repeat this step a few times until a nice dough ball is shaped. Each time, turn the dough about 90° to the right (usually about 2 times from each of the four sides).

Note:
Optionally, you can form each piece of the dough into a dough ball another way (rolling between two hands), but the method mentioned above is recommended.

4. Form bagels:

Important:

  • To make sure that formed bagels will not stick and will be easy to release for boiling, place them on an upside-down baking sheet with a generously floured silicone mat.
  • Make sure that bagels have at least 1” space between each other – I usually place no more than 6 of them on each baking sheet.

4.1.

To form the bagel, take a dough ball and penetrate it in the middle with your thumb.

4.2. Leaving the thumb in the center of the dough ball, start rotating the dough ball around your thumb and at the same time, start gently stretching it into a bagel shape until you reach a center hole with approximately a 1” diameter.

Important:
If you rip the dough ball during shaping, you need to form it into the dough ball again and repeat the steps – this doesn’t happen very often.

4.3.

Place the formed bagel on an upside-down baking sheet with a floured silicone mat and continue forming each ball.

5. Proofing:

5.1. Then, let all bagels proof at room temperature for about 30 minutes (keep the tray uncovered).

Note:
Each ball will increase its’ size. Do not focus on how much; just make sure that they are resting for about 30 minutes. Most important is that the balls recover from shaping and are ready to be boiled.

6. Boiling bath:

6.1. While the bagels are proofing, prepare your boiling bath. Place into a large pot:

4 – 6 QT of water
3 TBSP of barley malt syrup 

And briefly stir.

6.2.

Bring to a boil with occasional stirring and boil until the water and syrup are fully combined (usually a couple of minutes).

7. Set oven to preheat to 400°F.

8. Boil bagels:

Important:
Since bagels will expand during boiling, it is important to boil them in batches. I use a pot with a 14” top diameter that can accommodate 6 bagels being boiled at the same time. With a pot with a smaller diameter, you may have to split boiling into more than 2 batches.

8.1.

When the bagels have reached the end of their proofing time, place them into the boiling bath for 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

Bagels-49Bagels-51

8.2.

In the meantime, dust off all flour from the silicone mats – it doesn’t need to be perfect, but it is important to bake the bagels on non-floured silicone mats.

8.3.

After the bagels are precooked for 2 minutes and 30 seconds, place them for about 15 seconds on a paper towel to partially dry. Then place them on a baking sheet with a silicone mat.

9. Brush and optionally sprinkle:

9.1.

Brush the boiled bagels with milk.

9.2.

Optionally, immediately sprinkle them with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, other kinds of seeds, crushed pepper flakes, or sea salt.

10. Baking:

10.1

Bake in a preheated oven until done (about 20 minutes). Rotate the baking sheets in the middle of baking.

10.2.

Test with a toothpick.

10.3.

Then, cool on a cooling grate.

About the Author:
TomFounder
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Disclaimer:

All steps in this recipe are just suggestions, and the author and/or publisher of this recipe is not responsible for the following:

  • outcome of preparation
  • any health risk related to the incorrect handling of food and/or not following USDA recommendations, such as but not limited to, following the minimum safe serving temperatures
  • provide health and dietary advice to readers
  • safety during preparation, including incorrect handling of equipment and the equipment’s suitability for food preparation, improper cooking techniques, sourcing of ingredients, and anything related to the preparation and consumption of the products of this recipe

All readers are responsible for evaluating if the recipe and its’ ingredients and steps fit with their dietary restrictions and can adjust accordingly.