Bagels

This recipe is one that I had bookmarked for a while now. I found it when going through recipes my dad had saved after my Grandma and Great Grandma had passed. All their recipes were hand written on little pieces of scratch paper, so I typed this one up and adjusted it for modern kitchens. Let me know how you like to enjoy your bagels!

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Recipe Snapshot

Time: 2 Hours

Serves: 8-12 Bagels

Level: Medium

What you’ll need…

2 Packages Active Yeast
3-4 C Bread Flour - plus more for rolling out dough
1 1/2 C Warm Water
1 Tbsp Salt
4 Tbsp Sugar - Separated
Toppings - I used Everything But The Bagel seasoning from Trader Joes

Get Cooking…

Combine yeast and 1 3/4 C flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.

In a separate small bowl, combine warm water, salt, and 3 Tbsp sugar.

Turn the mixer on a low speed and pour the water/salt/sugar mixture into the yeast and flour. Mix for about 30 seconds and scrape down sides of the bowl. Continue mixing on a medium-high speed until there is no flour visible in the bowl (1-3 minutes).

Start to add in the additional flour in 1/4 C increments until a stiff dough is formed. This took about 3 1/2 C for me. You should look for the dough to begin to pull away from the sides of the bowl and no longer be sticking to the bowl as it kneads. Knead an additional 3 minutes to create a smooth, elastic dough.

Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, cover the dough and let rest 30 minutes.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and cut in half. Cut each half into 4-5 equal sized pieces. (For larger bagels, cut into 8 pieces.) Form each piece into a rounded ball. With a floured finger, poke a hole in the center of the dough ball and work it around to create the bagel shape. Repeat with remaining dough balls, and place on a flat, floured surface to rest for an addition 20 minutes.

While the dough is resting, bring 10 C of water to a boil and add remaining 1 Tbsp of sugar. Keep water at a simmer, preheat oven to 375F, and lightly grease a baking sheet.

If you will be adding toppings, I would suggest prepping by placing the toppings into a shallow bowl, or plate that will fit the entire bagel laying flat.

Next, taking the bagels in batches – based on how large of a pot you used for the water – place the bagels into the water. They will sink to the bottom at first, then rise to the top. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side. 2 minutes will give you a more chewy bagel.

Remove the bagels from the water using a slotted spoon or spatula and place into toppings if desired. Lastly, place onto the baking sheet and repeat until all bagels are ready to be baked.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until a light golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack, or just slice one open while it’s hot and enjoy!