Making the perfect bagel has been a bit of an obsession for me. Chewy on the outside, with a nice, dense interior being what I was after. Well. If that is what you’re after in a bagel too, then come on into my kitchen!
With only a few simple ingredients, and even fewer steps, you’ll be enjoying homemade classic bagels in no time! The only extra step in making these delicious baked goods is the boiling before baking. This may seem like a tedious step, but it really isn’t. And you’ll be glad you did it! The boiling before baking produces a fantastic, chewy crust. Let’s go on to make bagels from scratch, shall we?
The simple ingredients you need to make a great bagel!
- All-purpose flour is what I used for this recipe. It worked perfectly. 3 cups, by the way.
- 3 tbsp of sugar. Just white sugar will do, or you may use whatever sweetener you prefer.
- Salt. I used 1 tsp of pink himalayan salt. It’s pretty, so I prefer it.
- 1 tbsp of active dry yeast.
- A cup of warm water.
- 1/4 cup of baking soda to add to your pot of boiling water.
- I used parchment paper to bake my bagels on, but I think that greasing your pan well would be just as effective.
Okay, now let’s get started! Bagel time!
- Combine the water, sugar and yeast in a medium bowl, and wait for it to start growing, or foaming up.
- In a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the foamed up yeast mixture, the flour and salt.
- Combine thoroughly and knead by hand or use the mixer to knead it for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Oil a large bowl. Place the kneaded dough in the bowl and flip it over to cover all sides of the dough in oil.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave in a warm spot for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, dump out on the counter, and divide into 8 equal pieces.
- Shape each piece into a disk by turning and tucking, around and around until it is a nice, round shape.
- Poke a hole in the middle, and spread it open to form the hole in the middle of the bagel.
- Set them on a cookie sheet , cover with a tea towel and rise for 20 minutes.
- Set your oven to 450 degrees F.
- Meanwhile, fill a heavy, large pot 3/4 of the way with water. Set to boil on medium/high heat.
- Once the pot of water is boiling, carefully add 1/4 cup of baking soda. It will bubble up quite a bit.
- Cooking three or four at a time, add the bagels to the water. Cook 2 minutes on each side.
- Once the batch of bagels is done boiling, place them on a parchment paper covered cookie sheet.
- Bake at 450 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes. Mine were perfect at 12 minutes.
- Set out on a cooling rack to cool.
- Enjoy in any way you like to eat bagels! My family loves a breakfast sandwich made with a bagel. Cheese, egg and hot sauce to dip it in!
Things to remember when making bagels.
- Knead by hand, or use a mixer to knead the dough for the full 8 to 10 minutes. This gives you a nice, fine crumb and works the gluten in the flour.
- Be careful when adding the baking soda to the boiling water. It will foam up quite a bit.
- For nice looking bagels, try your best to make a perfectly circular disk shape. Tucking the dough with one hand and turning it with the other.
- Don’t skip the boiling part! This gives your crust a nice chew, and shiny appearance.
Classic Bagels
Chewy crust and fine, dense interior makes this classic bagel recipe perfect!
Servings: 8 bagels
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp active dry yeast
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup warm water
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup baking soda
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the water, yeast and sugar. Set aside until foamy and risen.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine the yeast mixture, salt and flour. Knead or mix in the mixer with a dough hook for 8-10 minutes.
- Place in an oiled bowl, turn so the oil covers the dough, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
- Let rise in warm spot for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Once the dough is doubled in size, divide into 8 equal pieces. Form bagel shape by creating a disk, and poking a thumb or finger into the middle to make a hole.
- Set aside on a cookie sheet, cover, and let rise for 20 minutes.
- While the bagels are rising, preheat your oven to 450 degrees F, and place a large pot 3/4 full of water on the stove to boil. Once the water is boiling, pour in the baking soda very carefully- it will foam quite a bit.
- Cook the bagels in groups of three or four in the boiling water. 2 minutes on each side.
- Set the boiled bagels on a parchment paper covered cookie sheet.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Take the bagels off the cookie sheet. Cool on a cooling rack.
Notes
- Knead by hand, or use a mixer to knead the dough for the full 8 to 10 minutes. This gives you a nice, fine crumb and works the gluten in the flour.
- Be careful when adding the baking soda to the boiling water. It will foam up quite a bit.
- For nice looking bagels, try your best to make a perfectly circular disk shape. Tucking the dough with one hand and turning it with the other.
- Don’t skip the boiling part! This gives your crust a nice chew, and shiny appearance.
Pin it for later!
Bagels would taste great with these:
- Best scrambled eggs!
- Breakfast sandwiches with habanero hot sauce!
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