This was my first attempt at making bagels and it was quite the success. The dough comes out with a slight sourdough taste because of the starter sponge. I hand mixed mine, but you could use a bread machine I suppose or mixer (trying this next time).
Ingredients
Sponge:
1 tsp. instant yeast
4 cups unbleached bread flour
2 ½ cups room temperature water
Dough:
½ tsp. instant yeast
3 ¾ cups unbleached bread flour
2 ¾ tsp. salt
1 tbsp. honey, or brown sugar or 2 tsp. malt powder (haven’t tried yet)
To finish:
1 tbsp. baking soda
Semolina flour or cornmeal, for dusting
Directions:
Mix the yeast (1 tsp.) and flour (4 c.) together. Add the water (2 1/2 c.). Whisk or stir out the lumps until it forms a sticky batter .
Mix the yeast (1 tsp.) and flour (4 c.) together. Add the water (2 1/2 c.). Whisk or stir out the lumps until it forms a sticky batter .
Leave the bowl at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, covered with syran wrap. The mixture should be very foamy and bubbly. I found it took longer ~2.5 hrs. in AZ climate to reach this state. It should double in size and collapse when the bowl is tapped on the countertop.
Dough Time
Add yeast (1/2 tsp.) to the sponge and stir. Continue to add the additional ingredients 3 cups of the flour and all of the salt (2 3/4 tsp.) and honey or brown sugar (1 tbsp.). Continue stirring until all ingredients are incorporated, forming a ball.
Divide the dough into ~16 balls for standard size bagels. Cover the dough balls with a damp towel, leaving them to rest for about 20 minutes.
Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper or a Silpat
. Mist each lined pan with oil. Grab your dough balls and stretch a hole in the center about 2″. Place the bagel rounds on the oiled pan and spritz the tops with oil. Cover with syran wrap and let the pans sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
. Mist each lined pan with oil. Grab your dough balls and stretch a hole in the center about 2″. Place the bagel rounds on the oiled pan and spritz the tops with oil. Cover with syran wrap and let the pans sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
Next, check your bagels to make sure they are ready to be retarded in the refrigerator. Do so by taking one bagel and dropping in a cool bowl of water. If it floats immediately, remove it from the water pat dry and return it the pan and place them in the fridge. If it does not pass the “float test” pat dry and return it to the pan to continue to set. Check back every 15 minutes or so to see if the tester floats.
Day 2
When you’re ready to bake your bagels (they can stay in the fridge 2-3 days), preheat the oven to 500° F. Set both racks in the middle of the oven. Prepare your toppings while you bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the baking soda.
Here’s the fun part. You get to see your bagels come together. Carefully drop your bagels in the boiling water. They should float within 10 seconds. Boil each side for 1 minute, using a slotted spoon or strainer to flip and remove the bagels from the water. For chewier bagels, boil longer.
While the bagels are boiling, sprinkle your baking sheet with cornmeal or semolina flour. Top your bagels as soon as they come out of the water.
Place the pans in the middle of the oven, baking at 500° for 5 minutes. Rotate the pans, and flip 180˚, reducing the temperature to 450° F and baking for an additional 5 minutes, or until the bagels are to your liking.
Remove the pans from the oven and cool the bagels on a rack before serving.
Toppings:
Cinnamon Apple
Cinnamon Sugar
Cheese and Chiles
Parmasean, Garlic, Oregano
Blueberries (might be good mixed in too)
Pears (thinking off adding some cheese)
Cinnamon Apple
Cinnamon Sugar
Cheese and Chiles
Parmasean, Garlic, Oregano
Blueberries (might be good mixed in too)
Pears (thinking off adding some cheese)
What toppings would you add? I’m boring and always go plain, although I do enjoy a Chonga bagel.
Homemade Bagels
Ingredients
- Sponge:
- 1 tsp. instant yeast
- 4 cups unbleached bread flour
- 2 ½ cups room temperature water
- Dough:
- ½ tsp. instant yeast
- 3 ¾ cups unbleached bread flour
- 2 ¾ tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. honey or brown sugar or 2 tsp. malt powder (haven’t tried yet)
- To finish:
- 1 tbsp. baking soda
- Semolina flour or cornmeal for dusting
Instructions
- Sponge
- Mix the yeast (1 tsp.) and flour (4 c.) together. Add the water (2 1/2 c.). Whisk or stir out the lumps until it forms a sticky batter .
- Leave the bowl at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, covered with saran wrap. The mixture should be very foamy and bubbly. I found it took longer ~2.5 hrs. in AZ climate to reach this state. It should double in size and collapse when the bowl is tapped on the countertop.
- Dough
- Add yeast (1/2 tsp.) to the sponge and stir. Continue to add the additional ingredients 3 cups of the flour and all of the salt (2 3/4 tsp.) and honey or brown sugar (1 tbsp.). Continue stirring until all ingredients are incorporated, forming a ball.
- Transfer the dough to the counter and work in the remaining ¾ cup flour to stiffen the dough. ~Again in AZ climate I found that I could only mix in about 3 cups total until my dough reached maximum stiffness. Continue working and kneading the dough for at least 10 minutes until all ingredients are mixed in. The dough should be smooth, but not sticky, all the flour should be worked in.
- Divide the dough into ~16 balls for standard size bagels. Cover the dough balls with a damp towel, leaving them to rest for about 20 minutes.
- Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper or a Silpat. Mist each lined pan with oil. Grab your dough balls and stretch a hole in the center about 2″. Place the bagel rounds on the oiled pan and spritz the tops with oil. Cover with syran wrap and let the pans sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
- Next, check your bagels to make sure they are ready to be retarded in the refrigerator. Do so by taking one bagel and dropping in a cool bowl of water. If it floats immediately, remove it from the water pat dry and return it the pan and place them in the fridge. If it does not pass the “float test” pat dry and return it to the pan to continue to set. Check back every 15 minutes or so to see if the tester floats.
- Day 2
- When you’re ready to bake your bagels (they can stay in the fridge 2-3 days), preheat the oven to 500° F. Set both racks in the middle of the oven. Prepare your toppings while you bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the baking soda.
- Carefully drop your bagels in the boiling water. They should float within 10 seconds. Boil each side for 1 minute, using a slotted spoon or strainer to flip and remove the bagels from the water. For chewier bagels, boil longer.
- While the bagels are boiling, sprinkle your baking sheet with cornmeal or semolina flour. Top your bagels as soon as they come out of the water.
- Place the pans in the middle of the oven, baking at 500° for 5 minutes. Rotate the pans, and flip 180˚, reducing the temperature to 450° F and baking for an additional 5 minutes, or until the bagels
- are to your liking.
- Remove the pans from the oven and cool the bagels on a rack before serving.
