
Break up or complete, smeared with cream cheese or stuffed with smoked salmon, the bagel is the ringed baked good to rule all of them. Dropped at america by Japanese European immigrants inside the early twentieth century, the bagel has change into a beloved staple of the American deli scene, launching a thousand schmears, lox spreads, and power brunches. At its peak inside the Nineteen Nineties, further bagels had been bought and eaten than doughnuts. Nevertheless now’s the time to heed the siren identify for the home-boiled, home-baked bagel.
Our two recipes are an ode to 2 classics, the solidly customizable plain bagel and the marginally sweet raisin-studded mannequin. We’re not going to get proper right into a rumble over whether or not or not these bagels beat your deli favorite or your grandma’s secret recipe. Nevertheless they supply the most effective cornerstones of an actual bagel: compact, bouncy crumb and toothsome, shiny crust. Observe our steps and concepts from our verify kitchen consultants so that you probably can convey the bagel to your individual residence kitchen.
Major Bagels
Makes 12 bagels
- 7 cups (889 grams) bread flour
- 2 tablespoons (18 grams) kosher salt
- 1¾ teaspoons (5.25 grams) instantaneous yeast
- 2⅓ cups (560 grams) warmth water (120°F/49°C to 130°F/54°C)
- ½ cup (170 grams) plus 2 tablespoons (42 grams) barley malt syrup, divided
- 8 cups (1,920 grams) plus 1 tablespoon (15 grams) water, divided
- 1 huge egg white (30 grams)
- Toppings: each half bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, freshly grated Asiago cheese
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Inside the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whisk collectively flour, salt, and yeast by hand. Add 2⅓ cups (560 grams) warmth water and a pair of tablespoons (42 grams) barley malt syrup, and beat at low velocity until a shaggy dough varieties, about 1 minute. Swap to the dough hook attachment. Beat at low velocity until dough pulls away from sides and bottom of bowl, about 8 minutes. (Dough is perhaps elastic nonetheless couldn’t look completely straightforward.)
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Show dough onto a calmly floured ground, and type proper right into a straightforward ball. Calmly oil a giant bowl. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease excessive. Cowl and let rise in a warmth, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until doubled in dimension, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
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Place a giant sheet of parchment paper in a warmth, draft-free place (75°F/24°C); mud parchment with flour.
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Divide dough into 12 components (about 107 grams each). Type each portion proper right into a ball. Place 1 ball in your hand. Using your thumb and forefinger, pinch a spot in coronary heart of ball, and stretch hole to about 3 inches massive. Place on prepared parchment. Repeat with remaining dough. (As quickly as dough contracts, the outlet should be 1 to 1½ inches massive.) Cowl and let rise until puffed, 15 to half-hour.
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Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
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In a giant stockpot, convey 8 cups (1,920 grams) water and remaining ½ cup (170 grams) barley malt syrup to a extremely low simmer over medium-low heat. (Do not boil.) Rigorously drop bagels, 1 to 2 at a time, into water. Cook dinner dinner for 10 seconds per aspect; immediately change to prepared pans.
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In a small bowl, whisk collectively egg white and remaining 1 tablespoon (15 grams) water. Brush dough with egg wash, and sprinkle with desired toppings.
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Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on pans for 10 minutes. Serve warmth or at room temperature.
Chai Raisin Bagels
Makes 12 bagels
- 7 cups (889 grams) bread flour
- ⅔ cup (85 grams) raisins
- 2 tablespoons (18 grams) kosher salt
- 4 teaspoons (8 grams) chai spice
- 1¾ teaspoons (5.25 grams) instantaneous yeast
- 2⅓ cups (560 grams) warmth water (120°F/49°C to 130°F/54°C)
- ½ cup (170 grams) plus 2 tablespoons (42 grams) barley malt syrup, divided
- 8 cups (1,920 grams) plus 1 tablespoon (15 grams) water, divided
- 1 huge egg white (30 grams)
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Inside the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whisk collectively flour, raisins, salt, chai spice, and yeast by hand. Add 2⅓ cups (560 grams) warmth water and a pair of tablespoons (42 grams) barley malt syrup, and beat at low velocity until a shaggy dough varieties, about 1 minute. Swap to the dough hook attachment. Beat at low velocity until dough pulls away from sides and bottom of bowl, about 8 minutes. (Dough is perhaps elastic nonetheless couldn’t look completely straightforward.)
-
Show dough onto a calmly floured ground, and type proper right into a straightforward ball. Calmly oil a giant bowl. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease excessive. Cowl and let rise in a warmth, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until doubled in dimension, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
-
Place a giant sheet of parchment paper in a warmth, draft-free place (75°F/24°C); mud parchment with flour.
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Divide dough into 12 components (about 114 grams each). Type each portion proper right into a ball. Place 1 ball in your hand. Using your thumb and forefinger, pinch a spot in coronary heart of ball, and stretch hole to about 3 inches massive. Place on prepared parchment. Repeat with remaining dough. (As quickly as dough contracts, the outlet should be 1 to 1½ inches massive.) Cowl and let rise until puffed, 15 to half-hour.
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Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
-
In a giant stockpot, convey 8 cups (1,920 grams) water and remaining ½ cup (170 grams) barley malt syrup to a extremely low simmer over medium-low heat. (Do not boil.) Rigorously drop bagels, 1 to 2 at a time, into water. Cook dinner dinner for 10 seconds per aspect; immediately change to prepared pans.
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In a small bowl, whisk collectively egg white and remaining 1 tablespoon (15 grams) water. Brush dough with egg wash.
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Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on pans for 10 minutes. Serve warmth or at room temperature.
Assemble a Greater Bagel
From daring asiago to warmth chai spice, these tip-top toppers and mix-ins will allow you to make your dream bagel.
ASIAGO CHEESE
Asiago is the king of cheeses, nutty and salty, crispy and creamy, abruptly. We want to pile it on thick, loads so that we uncover ourselves saying, “Certain, there is a bagel beneath all that cheese.”
Use ¼ cup (28 grams) grated cheese per bagel.
EVERYTHING BAGEL SEASONING
It’s the addictive topping that has formally gone mainstream. Nevertheless we’re not complaining. One thing with a mixture of seeds, garlic, onion, and salt is secure gold in our e-book.
Use 1 tablespoon (9 grams) per bagel.
TOASTED WHITE SESAME SEEDS
These little seeds are a standard bagel topper for a trigger. They supply crunch, a slight nuttiness, and, when mixed with black sesame seeds, a visual pop.
Use 1 tablespoon (9 grams) per bagel.
BLACK SESAME SEEDS
What’s the excellence between black and white sesame seeds anyway? Properly, white sesame seeds have the hull eradicated, whereas black sesame seeds have the hull on. The excellence in fashion is refined, with black sesame seeds having a barely further bitter style. For the proper of every worlds, use a mixture of the two in your bagel.
Use 1 tablespoon (9 grams) per bagel.
CHAI SPICE
For our sweet(ish) rendition of the bagel, we used a chai spice combine to convey one factor new to the cinnamon-raisin elements. You might also use pumpkin spice or your favorite spice combination of other. Chinese language language five-spice bagels, anyone?
Use 4 teaspoons (8 grams) per bagel.
POPPY SEEDS
Blue-black poppy seeds are a typical ingredient in Jewish baking, so it’s unsurprising to look out them gracing the very best of a bagel. They convey a distinctly earthy style and tiny crunch to your bagels.
Use 1 tablespoon (9 grams) per bagel.
Strategies to Make Wonderful Bagels

Step 1: To appropriately type your dough, place dough ball on a calmly floured ground, and cup the very best of the dough loosely alongside together with your hand. Roll the dough into small circles until it turns into taut, pulling barely on the ground. If the dough begins to tear, stop—you’ve gone too far. An honest dough ball is significant, because of any free air bubbles will affect the signature crumb of the bagel.
Step 2: Using your thumb and forefinger, pinch a spot by the use of the center of the dough. Poking by the use of on both aspect (reasonably than poking a spot by the use of with merely the thumb) helps break the seal with out tearing the dough.
Step 3: Rotate the bagel between your fingers, gently squeezing and stretching out the outlet to about 3 inches massive, being cautious to not tug too laborious and overwork the dough. It should feel and appear like an exaggerated stretch, nonetheless the sturdy gluten development inside the dough will assure that it will spring once more to a far more conservative 1- to 1½-inch diameter after a few minutes.
Step 4: Concurrently you place your stretched-out bagel onto the prepared pan, you’ll uncover it snapping once more proper right into a tighter tube. Allow it to puff up for 15 to half-hour, coated loosely with plastic wrap. Masking your bagels all through the rise is significant; in every other case they’ll begin to dry out inside the open air.
