Homemade Bagels

These delicious and sturdy homemade bagels are quick and simple to make without the need for extended overnight fermentation times or special ingredients like diastatic malt. This recipe is adapted from the Sophisticated Gourmet website.

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INGREDIENTS

• 300 grams (1 ¼ cups plus 1 teaspoon) lukewarm water *
• 470 grams (3 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons) bread flour**
• 19 grams (4 ½ teaspoons) sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons table salt (or 2 ¾ teaspoons of Diamond Crystal Kosher salt)
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Conversions Used: 1 cup water (8 fluid ounces) weighs 236 grams, and 1 cup of flour weighs 130 grams.

*At 300g water/470 g flour, this dough recipe registers at 63.8% hydration. A dough’s hydration determines how stiff or soft (and sticky) it’ll be. As made, this dough will be soft and slightly sticky. Bagels with lower hydration percentage are denser and drier than those with a higher hydration percentage which will be lighter and softer. You can adjust the percentages accordingly, if desired.

** If you don’t have any bread flour, use all-purpose flour plus a Tablespoon of Vital Wheat Gluten for this recipe. If you don’t have vital wheat gluten, just use all-purpose flour; it works fine too. Bagels containing more gluten will be a little chewier.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix and knead all of the dough ingredients — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — to make a soft, smooth, slightly sticky dough.

If using the dough cycle of bread machine, place all ingredients into the bread machine in the order listed; when the dough cycle is completed, move on to step 3.

If kneading by hand, proof the yeast in water and sugar, then add this liquid to the mixture of dried ingredients to form a shaggy ball.

Cover and let rest for about 15-30 minutes so the flour will take up the moisture completely. Uncover and knead the dough for about 15 minutes and it will form a smooth, somewhat elastic mass. Add a small amount of flour to countertop if needed to prevent dough from sticking during the kneading process.

2. Place the dough in an oiled container, cover, until it's nearly doubled in bulk; this should take about an hour depending on room temperature.

3. Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into roughly 8 equal pieces. (I used a scale to make sure the bagels were about the same size so cooking times would be the same for each bagel.) Let the dough rest for a few minutes.

4. Set a large, wide-diameter pan of water on the stovetop and heat it using a medium temperature. The pan should have the capacity to hold 2” to 3” or more of water.

5. Shape each piece into a ball and place them on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. The dough balls should have a tight smooth surface - roll the dough balls on an un-floured work surface and use the coefficient of friction to form a taut smooth surface.

6. Coat index finger in flour, and gently press your finger into the center of each dough ball to form a ring. Twirl the dough on your finger to stretch the hole to about 1 ½” to 2” in diameter. Place bagel on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with plastic or a towel. Let the shaped bagels rest for at least 10 minutes.

7. Preheat your oven to 425ºF and bring the water warming on the stovetop to a boil.

8. Lower the bagels into the simmering water. Increase the heat under the pan in order to maintain a simmering boil, if necessary. Cook the bagels for 1 to 2 minutes, flip them over and cook for 1 or 2 minutes more. Use a skimmer or strainer (or similar utensil) to remove bagels and drain slightly; place on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining bagels.

9. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

10. Cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes. At this point, the freshly baked bagels do not have to be toasted to be served.