Homemade Bagels

Okay so thanks to a gift from the boyfriend's parents, writing down recipes I concoct in the kitchen has become much easier. And I know what you're thinking... "you can make BAGELS at home?!" Of course you can, stupid. It's just bread. Well it's loopy bread. Circular bread, really.

There are only two big differences between bagels and a standard loaf of bread: the shape (duh) and the cooking process. Ever wonder why bagels are so shiny? It's because they are boiled, briefly, before being baked. Yes, it is that simple.

The following is a recipe I very slightly modified from one I found on some random website. All bagel recipes are mostly the same, anyway.

Homemade Bagels

4 c. flour
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 1/2 c. warm water

1. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt. In a small bowl filled with the warm water, sprinkle the packet of yeast over the top and let dissolve 10 mins.

2. After about 10 mins, give the yeast a stir, and add it to the dry ingredients. Mix well to form a dough, then turn out onto a floured surface. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 mins.

3. Divide the dough into 8 evenly sized rounds, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume (1-2 hours).

TIP: If your house is cold you might have to get creative. I have placed dough in some very random places, the most recent being an attic (heat rises, after all). Other suggestions I have would be to put it over - NOT TOUCHING - a pan of hot water, or in an oven that has been turned on and cooled a bit. Whatever works. The colder the room is, the longer it will take to rise. Remember that.

4. Roll the rounds of dough into a rope, and wrap around your first to form a ring. Place the seam onto a flat surface, and "roll" the ring off your palm. Did that make sense? Of course it didn't. Watch this:



5. Place the bagels on a greased sheet pan, and let rest/rise another 30 mins. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and boil a pot of water.

6. When the bagels have rested and the water is boiled, float the bagels in the boiling water and boil 1 minute on each side. Remove from the water and place back on the sheet pan, until all bagels are boiled.

7. Bake in the oven until golden on the tops, approximately 20 mins.

TIP: If you like super shiny bagels, you can brush the tops of the bagels with an egg wash (beat an egg together with a spoon of water). If you want to add toppings to the bagel, just sprinkle the tops with whatever you please before baking, but after they've been boiled.

Yields: approximately 8 bagels.


Don't feel bad if your bagels look a little... well, abstract. As you can see, I'm no expert either. Making bagels takes some practice and technique perfection if you want them to look like bakery bagels. They'll still be delicious, either way.