If there’s anything better than a bagel, it’s a New York-style bagel! Chewy, flavourful, and sweet with a beautiful shiny crust, this yummy treat makes for a great breakfast option especially when they’re fresh out the oven ? Making homemade bagels requires a unique step that’s rather different from baking your usual bread recipes which is to boil them in water before baking them. But apart from that, everything else is pretty similar! And with this bagel recipe, the only real difficult part is waiting for them to cool down long enough before you take that first bite ?
Ingredients (yields 8)
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 4 ½ tsp granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ cup warm water
- 3 ½ cup bread flour
- 1 ½ tsp salt
Directions
- In a small bowl, combine ½ cup of warm water, sugar and yeast. Let it sit for 5 minutes before stirring the mixture until it dissolves in the water.
- In a separate bowl, mix flour and salt. Make a well in the middle and pour the yeast and sugar mixture in.
- Pour another ⅓ cup of warm water in the well and mix. Stir in the remaining water as needed and continue to combine everything until you’ve got a moist and firm dough.
- On a clean surface, spread some flour on top and knead the dough for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- In a lightly greased bowl, place the dough and cover the bowl with a damp dish towel. Let it rise for about 1 hour until it grows twice the size. Then, lightly punch the dough to release air bubbles and leave it to rest for another 10 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and shape them into a ball. Then, press your index finger to the centre of each ball of dough to create a ring.
- Place the shaped dough on a lightly oiled baking sheet and cover with a kitchen towel. Let them rest for 10 minutes while you preheat the oven to 220ºC and prepare the water bath.
- Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and lower 2 to 4 bagels in at a time. Cook the bagels for 1 minute on each side. Once all of them are boiled, move all the bagels to a baking sheet that’s lined with parchment paper.
- Pop the bagels in the oven and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, then transfer the bagels to a wire rack and let them cool completely. Serve and enjoy!
Notes:
- You can add all different kinds of toppings to your bagels such as cinnamon sugar, sesame seeds, coarse salt and shredded cheese. Sprinkle a topping (or two) of your choice as you take them out of the water. Or brush the bagels with some egg wash so that your toppings will stick better.
- If you’re saving your bagels for another time, freeze them once they’ve cooled completely. Make sure to slice in half before popping them in the freezer if you’re planning on enjoying them with a spread.
- Store any leftover bagels in a resealable plastic at room temperature for up to 2 days.
And there you have it! A New York-style bagel recipe that’s perfect for whenever you’re itching to try out a classic Big Apple treat ? But if you're looking for more, then these recipes are perfect for you: