Homemade Bagels
My husband Nick doesn’t prefer to eat carbs too often, so when he’s away for work, I pretty much over-carb-load. While he was at NAB in Las Vegas this past April, I had a craving for bagels. I decided to try my hand at making them at home and holy crap were they delicious! I ate them with butter and cream cheese while watching his presentation online from my laptop in our kitchen. In my pajamas. Don't judge me.
INGREDIENTS
2 tsp active dry yeast (amazon)
1 ½ Tbsp granulated sugar
1 ¼ cups warm water
3 ½ cups bread flour
1 ½ tsp salt
1 egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp warm water (for egg wash)
I love everything bagels. And garlic bagels. And, ok so I pretty much like them all (except blueberry. I don’t know why).
Everything bagel topping: On a plate, combined poppy seeds, sesame seeds, sea salt, garlic (amazon), onion powder and garlic powder. I didn’t measure anything out, really, I went heavy on the stuff I like and just experimented.
I also grated asiago cheese, and used more garlic to top for garlic bagels.
DIRECTIONS
Divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll each into a smooth ball with the palms of your hands.
Poke your finger through each dough ball and stretch it out to your desired size, and place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Cover with some damp paper towel and let them rest for 10 more minutes.
Preheat your oven to 425° and bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Place the bagels one by one into the boiling water using a slotted spoon. I did about 2 at a time. They’ll float almost immediately. Let them boil for 1 ½ minutes, then gently flip then and let them sit for another 1 ½ minutes.
Once you take them out, brush with the egg wash and add whatever toppings you like and place them back on the cookie sheet.
Bake on top shelf* of oven for 20 minutes until golden brown.
*Be sure to put them on the top rack of your oven. Trust me.
Pour the sugar and yeast into ½ cup of the warm water (don’t stir) and let sit for about 5-6 minutes until it dissolves.
Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl, then make a well in the middle and pour the water mixture in it, then pour the remaining warm water and mix all together. You should have moist and firm dough.
Knead the dough on a floured countertop for about 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Be sure to keep working in flour if needed.
Lightly oil a large bowl, place dough inside, and turn to coat. I absolutely love Chosen Foods Olive Oil Spray. It just makes the job easier.
Cover the bowl with damp paper towel and let it sit for 1 hour to rise (it should double in size). When your hour is up, give it a punch so it goes down and let it sit for another 10 minutes.