Salted Rosemary Bagels

I was asking about everyone’s favorite bagel on Instagram, and someone mentioned that they wished they could find a good Rosemary bagel.  So… here we go! I also attempted to do Instagram Live to make these and ultimately learned that I am not cut out for Instagram Live. I’ll leave that fun little corner of the internet for everyone else.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 tsp active dry
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 1/4 cup warm water
455 grams bread flour (3 3/4 cup)
2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 1/2 tsp salt
2-3 quarts of water, for boiling
2 Tbsp honey
1 egg, beaten
Sea salt flakes, for topping

DIRECTIONS

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, with a bread hook attachment, add yeast, brown sugar, and water. Stir on low until combined; let sit about 5 minutes until foamy.

  • Once the yeast has proofed, add measured flour, rosemary, and salt to the mixing bowl with the yeast. Stir on the lowest setting of your mixer until the ingredients start to combine. Then, increase the speed. Knead the dough for 3-6 minutes. A smooth ball will have formed, and it should have “cleaned” the bowl. T

  • Transfer the kneaded dough to a clean mixing bowl. Cover with a damp towel and place in a warm environment to rise until doubled in size, approximately 1 1/2 hours.

  • Once the dough has doubled in size, deflate it and transfer to a clean countertop. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut off 6 equal pieces of the dough. You can eyeball it if need be, they don’t have to be perfect.

  • Take one section at a time and form it into a ball. Do so by pulling the edges of each section down, gathering at the bottom, into a somewhat upside-down teardrop shape. Then, in a circular motion on the countertop, slowly roll it into a ball.  Let the dough balls rest, covered with a damp towel for 10-15 minutes before proceeding to shaping.

  • To form the bagels, take one of the rested dough balls and place your thumbs in the center and poke a hole, then pull out to stretch the dough into a bagel shape. Continue gently stretching the dough until you’ve reached around a 4 inch diameter. Place the shaped bagel on a silicone or parchment-lined baking sheet and continue until all bagels are formed.  *spray the parchment with oil so they don’t stick.

  • Cover the bagels with plastic wrap and then a damp towel. Place in the fridge for an hour.

  • After an hour, take the bagels out and, still covered, let them sit on the counter to get to room temperature.

  • Turn your oven on to 500 degrees.

  • Add the water to a large stockpot and stir in 2 Tbsp honey. Bring to a full boil.

  • Once the oven is ready and the water is boiling, the bagels should be room temp.

  • Add 1-2 bagels at a time, depending on how much your pot has room for.  If you don’t know, stick to 1 at a time.

  • Keep the water at a full boil, and boil the bagels 1 minute on each side, and remove them with a slotted spoon and sit on a plate.

  • While you’re doing this, beat 1 egg in a bowl until it’s thoroughly mixed.  Brush each bagel with egg wash and sprinkle with flakey salt.

    Bake the bagels for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. You may want to rotate the pan halfway through, depending on your oven.

  • Let the bagels sit for about 15 minutes before slicing.