Bagels

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“The bagel is a lonely roll to eat all by yourself because in order for the true taste to come out you need your family. One to cut the bagels, one to toast them, one to put on the cream cheese and the lox, one to put them on the table and one to supervise.” -Gertrude Berg (1899-1966)

Anybody who feels that it's blasphemous to even THINK about making bagels at home, outside New York, with dry yeast, or without high gluten flour and malt, might want to just sit this one out. I make these bagels almost every week, they freeze well, and everyone who's tasted them thinks they're great. Concerns over loss of flavour from the "sub-par" yeast and non-NYC water seem to get lost when we eat homemade bagels every day. For the record, I've never compared these to commercial bagels anyway- I think they're awesome just the way they are.

I almost always double this recipe. Even though the steps are easy, they are time consuming and I prefer to have a larger yield for my efforts. The bagels that you see pictured above are actually a bit lighter in colour than normal. If you'd prefer them darker, simply extend their time in the oven a bit.

For easy freezing and on-the-go toasting, slice the bagels in half when cooled, stack them back-to-front, place in a freezer bag, and store them in your freezer. Bagels will defrost and toast in your toaster on whatever setting you normally use- I swear.

If you have the time and the inclination, please give these a try. Not only do I think that you won't be sorry, I think you'll be thrilled with the results and hooked on coming up with your own combinations as well. Happy baking!

Bagels

1 1/4 cups warm WATER
1 packet RAPID-RISE YEAST
1 1/2 tablespoons SUGAR
3 1/2 cups ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
1 1/2 teaspoons SALT
1 EGG plus 1 tablespoon WATER for egg wash (optional)
OLIVE OIL for brushing (optional)
KOSHER SALT for sprinkling (optional)

Pour the water into a large bowl, and add the packet of yeast and the sugar. Add the flour and mix well to form a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead, adding additional flour as necessary, for about 10 minutes. You should have a firm and "springy" dough at this point.

Place the dough into a large oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature until doubled, about 40 minutes.

Punch down the dough and form it into a log; cut the log into 8 pieces. In a large pot, bring 3 to 4 quarts of water to a boil, adding a tablespoon of salt to the water once it begins to bubble. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.

In the meantime, you may form the bagels. Poke a thumb, dusted with flour, through the center of each piece of dough and stretch the hole with your fingers to make the traditional shape. Set aside on a lightly floured surface, and repeat the steps for the remaining pieces of dough. Cover the bagels with a cloth, to prevent the dough from drying, until the water is ready.

Drop the bagels into the boiling water, 2 or 3 at a time, and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove the bagels to a wire rack and drain briefly.

When all the bagels have been boiled, place them on baking sheets (1 inch apart), brush lightly with olive oil or an egg wash, and sprinkle with kosher salt to taste. Many other toppings are suitable as well, such as sesame seeds, sauteed minced onions or garlic, and poppy seeds. For a sweet option, add a tablespoon of sugar to the boiling water instead of salt, and dust the bagels with a cinnamon and sugar mixture after brushing with an egg wash.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes (time is based on baking in a convection oven; adjust accordingly to your needs). Remove from the baking sheets and cool on racks.

N.B. If you would like to substitute your favourite yeast and need guidance, you may want to visit this page at The Cook's Thesaurus- it's very helpful.

Comments

[Julie]

Moi, these look and sound so good that despite proximity to bagels of all kinds, I may just give them a try! Thanks for posting this -- it definitely looks like a keeper.

[Elna]

Oh, I love bagel and eat them a lot. Also, I've always wanted to learn how to make them myself but thought they were too complicated until you posted one and made me realize it seems easy and I could try it, really! Will definitely try it and will let you know the result. Thanks a lot Moira!

BTW, I did try your puy lentil salad with feta cheese and boy, that was great! Hubby and I loved it and will definitely be eating loads of them from now on. Another keeper. Thanks a lot!

[ejm]

Oh you are so right!! Whether made with high gluten or low gluten flour, homemade bagels are fantastic! For some silly reason, I consider them to be very finicky to make and haven't made them that often. (And yet, I'm willing to hand-make the slackest dough Italian breads that require two preferments... go figure.)

Your bagels look fantastic. Nice idea to put seasalt on them. I usually do a combination of poppy seeds and sesame seeds. (And I've never bothered with the egg wash and the seeds adhere pretty well in spite of it.) Oh I think I neeeeeeeed to make bagels soon!!

...bagels and cream cheese and apricot jam... mmmmmmmm

-Elizabeth

[Stephanie]

Oh, yes and yes and yes! I live on bagels; bagels for breakfast, bagels for sandwiches...you name it.
I always INTEND to make my own, but never get 'round to it. This recipe (and those appetizing photos) have shamed me into just going ahead and doing it. Tomorrow. I Swear!

[caryn]

Moira, I've been looking for a good bagel recipe. This looks like a keeper! And salt bagels are my favorite...

[Jessica]

Wow, these look so fluffy inside, and I can use regular flour! How do these compare to real NY bagels? Because living in New York, I've had lots of goooood bagels (so spongy and flavorful that no toasting or spread is necessary).

[ZarahMaria]

Moira, they look fantastic! I'm glad you posted about them, now I really can't wait to try them!

[Moira]

Hi Julie...definitely let me know what you think if you try these...they are cheap to make and it's nice to have them in the freezer!

Hi Elna...I'm so happy you and your husband enjoyed the lentil salad. I'm glad you're going to give the bagels a go as well- I hope you like them just as much as the salad!

Hi Elizabeth...you are the very LAST person I thought would hesitate to make bagels! Funny lady- you can whip up a batch of these in NO time. Make sure you have plenty of apricot jam!

Hi Stephanie...if you eat bagels all the time, you'll definitely get into making your own. One double batch every week or so will keep you stocked and happy! Let me know what you think!

Hi Caryn...salt bagels are my fave, too! I used to like the kind with everything, but my husband turned me on to salt only and now I'm like a junkie over them.

Hi Jessica...these don't really compare to commerical N.Y. bagels at all! One of my friends says that they're somewhere between a bagel and a fresh pretzel...does that help? You can definitely eat them plain when they're fresh, but I think they're best toasted and topped after the first day. They're never going to beat one of your neighbourhood bagels in a side-by-side, but on their own they're awesome.

Hi Zarah...thanks! I hope you love them, too!

[Fatemeh]

Moira -
I think I have to try these! We just don't have very many decent bagels in San Francisco (just like we don't have a good kosher deli), so aside from the gross that I bring back every time I go to NY, I just don't eat them.

So, now... let's talk about that NY pizza, shall we?

[ejm]

Jessica, try substituting high gluten flour (aka unbleached bread flour) for the all-purpose. It has been a while since I had any NYC bagels but as I recall, they were very chewy. (similar to Montreal style bagels)

I haven't made bagels very many times but they have been pretty brilliant when I have. The ones that I made with allpurpose flour were not really like NYC bagels. They were more like buns - really good buns, but buns nonetheless.

Here is the recipe I used (which is pretty similar to Moira's)
http://etherwork.net/blog/index.php?p=29

Moira, I don't know why I choke about making bagels. They really aren't that hard. Maybe it's the boiling part that makes me think they're complex....

-Elizabeth

[Moira]

Hi Fatemeh...hopefully these will keep you going between N.Y.C. runs! Please let me know what you think.

Hi Elizabeth...these bagels are definitely chewy and not AT ALL bun-like. They don't match the size and fluff of a commercial bagel, but they're definitely in the same family chew and taste-wise.

The steps are time-consuming, but as you know already, the results are worth it!

[ejm]

They certainly LOOK chewy. (I'm not communicating properly though.) There is a certain springy dense texture in the crumb that seems only to be happen with the high gluten flour. At least that is my experience with the bagels I made using allpurpose and the same recipe using bread flour.

Please let me hasten to add that I would be out of my mind with joy to eat the bagels you photographed. They really do look wonderful.

-Elizabeth

[Giao]

Moira, those bagels look scrumptious, complete with the big chunks of sea (?) salt! YUM!!

Also, big big congrats to co-winning on the cardamom cinnabuns pic. YAY!!

[Moira]

Hi Elizabeth...next time you're in our neck of the woods, the bagels are on me! We might just have to make a couple of different batches and have a taste test...that wouldn't be too bad, huh? ;-)

Hi Giao...I wish I could send you a basketful for a house-warming gift! I'll have to come up with something else that you might like, that won't get moldy. ;-)
Thanks for the congrats, sweetie!

[ejm]

Oooh great idea, Moira. We should do a taste test of various apricot jams too.

[rowena]

You know, those bagels just brought back quite a few memories of a time when...but best not get into that now, otherwise I will definitely be considered as abusing this comment box!

I am so taken with Falling Cloudberries. Did atleast half a dozen recipes already and plan on making that Baked Amaretti & Vin Santo plums tonite. Made my husband scour the shelves for orzo or risoni pasta last night! I'm just in this big mood to cook and bake, and sadly can only come up with half-assed posts for my blog! A side effect of spring fever???

I hope you'll be blogging when you're back in the states! Wanna see photos!!!!!!!

[Moira]

Hi Elizabeth...you're on!

Hi Rowena...shhhhh...you never abuse comment boxes! I am absolutely THRILLED that you are enjoying Falling Cloudberries. You know how it feels when you find something so cool and hope that you're friends are into it, too? ;-) I totally understand your spring fever! It's just beautiful here today, and the weekend is supposed to be fab as well. Finally!

I am going to try my best to get some posts in while I'm stateside. At the very worse, I'll have loads to post when we get back, but I think I'll be able to finagle a few while we're there. Our hosts have dial-up! Yikes! I'm taking my iBook, so I may have to go roaming for a WiFi connection to get anything done.

[Bakerina]

Moira, it's been years since I've made bagels. Granted, the best bagel bakery in New York is around the corner from my apartment -- and no, I'm not being parochial; I actually picked this neighborhood because the bagel shop is so good ;) -- so I don't bake them all that often; but when I do, I wonder why I don't do it more often. Won't make that mistake again. :) Yours look terrific; I can just envision the pull and the chew. Mmmmm.

[Moira]

Hi Ms. Bakerina...I would be in deep kim chee if I lived around the corner from a bagel shop. I can only imagine the bagels that would come out of your kitchen...but you don't bake them more often because you're busy making gazillions of other wonderful and tasty treats!

[Lisa]

OMG those bagels look amazing! I can't wait to try them!!!! Will report the results later!! wow wow wow!

[Moira]

Hi Lisa...I'm so glad you're exciting about making these! Definitely let me know what you think...

[Shirley]

Hello Moira,
My first post here. A BIG THANK YOU for the bagel recipe. I tried it over the weekend and it was fabulous. I made one batch just to try it out and when they were baking in the oven, I knew I had to start my second batch because they looked gorgeous, and oh, the smell! I couldn't be happier now that I can make my own bagels with such ease. Thank you very much!

[Moira]

Hi Shirley...oh, I'm so happy that they worked out for you! It IS just the best to be able to make a batch of your own bagels, isn't it? Let me know if you end up trying any variations and how they work out...

[Zarah Maria]

Moira - what happens to the 1½ teaspoon salt? Does it go in with the flour? 'cause in the recipe you specify one TABLESPOON for the boiling water? In the recipe you've emailed me, there's only salt for sprinkling - I is confused!

[ejm]

Not Moira, but I think I can answer your question, Zarah Maria. Yes, the 1tsp is kneaded into the dough. Or you can put it in with the flour as you're mixing the dough.

-Elizabeth