Rarely have I felt so proud as when I pulled these babies out of the oven. I mean, Homemade Bagels? Right up there with birthing three kids, honestly! 😂 Will you check out that crumb? Yes, they look a little... rustic, shall we say, but I’m totally into the shabby chic look anyway, and it didn’t make a tiny bit of difference flavor wise! These bagels were slightly crispy on the outside and delightfully chewy inside. Plain for the kids, poppy seed for the hubs and everything seasoning for me. And everyone was so happy! Good bagels are pretty hard to come by in Germany, so I was particularly ecstatic that these turned out so well. But no matter where you live, these are a very rewarding little project for the weekend. I say “little” because @sallysbakeblog has done it again: broken the process down into manageable steps that anyone can handle. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
It seems fitting that today is #nationalbagelsandloxday. I’m so glad I can celebrate 🎉 (just as soon as get myself to the shops for some lox 🙈) and not pine from afar!
xoxo Donata
Ingredients
1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) warm water (between 100-110°F, 38-43°C)
2 and 3/4 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast
4 cups (480g) bread flour (spoon and level), plus more for work surface and hands
1 Tablespoon packed light or dark brown sugar (or barley malt syrup)
2 teaspoons salt
coating the bowl: nonstick spray or 1 Tablespoon olive oil
egg wash: 1 egg white beaten with 1 Tablespoon water
For Boiling
2 quarts (2 l) water
1/4 cup (60g) honey (or barley malt syrup)
Instructions
Prepare the dough: Whisk the warm water and yeast together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
Add the flour, brown sugar, and salt. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. The dough is very stiff and will look somewhat dry.Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With lightly floured hands, knead the dough for 4-5 minutes. The dough is too heavy for the mixer to knead it!Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 60-90 minutes or until double in size.
Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Shape the bagels: When the dough is ready, punch it down to release any air bubbles. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. (Just eyeball it– doesn’t need to be perfect!) Shape each piece into a ball. Press your index finger through the center of each ball to make a hole about 1.5 – 2 inches in diameter. Loosely cover the shaped bagels with kitchen towel and rest for a few minutes as you prepare the water bath.
Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).
Water bath: Fill a large, wide pot with 2 quarts of water. Whisk in the honey. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-high. Drop bagels in, 2-4 at a time, making sure they have enough room to float around. Cook the bagels for 1 minute on each side.
Remove the bagels from the water with a slotted spoon and place on a wire rack to drip off some of the water.
Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash on top and around the sides of each bagel.
Place 4 bagels onto each lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. You want the bagels to be a dark golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow bagels to cool on the baking sheets for 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Slice, toast, top, whatever you want! Cover leftover bagels tightly and store at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Recipe by Sally McKenney of Sally's Baking Addiction. The link below has some super helpful hints and videos about making the bagels!
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/homemade-bagels/
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