Bagels
Chewy on the outside, soft on the inside, these bagels are perfect to have with you morning cup of coffee with a schmear of cream cheese or even just some butter.
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 8 large bagels or 12 mini bagels
Equipment
Mixing Bowl
Stand Mixer
Baking Sheet
Measuring Cups and Spoons
Bench Scraper
Large Wide Pot
Slotted Spoon
Parchment Paper
Ingredients
4 cups bread flour plus extra for dusting
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tsp molasses
2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
2 tsp salt
1 ½ cups warm water
3 quarts water
1 tbsp molasses
1 tbsp baking soda
Directions
For the Dough:
1. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly grease the paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the water, sugar, molasses, and yeast and stir together.
3. To the yeast mixture, add the flour and salt. Turn the mixer on low speed and mix until a dough starts to form. If mixing by hand, turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand until a smooth and elastic dough is formed, about 10 to 15 minutes. If using a stand mixer, continue mixing on low speed for about 10 to 15 minutes until the dough is smooth.
4. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured counter or silicone mat and divide it into 8 pieces for larger bagels or 12 pieces for mini bagels.
5. Roll each piece into a ball and gently flatten.
6. Press a finger into the center to create a hole. Pick up the dough and gently stretch it to create a donut shape. Shape until the center hole is about 2 inches wide.
7. Allow the bagels to rest and rise on the prepared baking sheets until doubled in size, 45 minutes to an hour.
For the Boiling and Assembly:
1. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Place the water in a large, wide pot and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer and stir in the molasses and baking soda.
3. Working with two or three at a time, add bagels to the pot of water. (They might sink to the bottom of the pot.) Bagels will be delicate, so do not handle more than necessary.
4. If the dough doesn’t want to release from the parchment paper, just cut the paper and place the bagel and parchment into the water. The parchment will be released as the bagel boil.
5. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Using a spider or slotted spoon, flip them over and cook for another minute. (They should be floating at this point if they weren’t already.)
6. Remove each bagel, letting the excess water drain off, and place it back on the baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle on or dip in the toppings of your choice, if desired.
7. Bake for 15 minutes.
8. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before serving. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Bagels freeze great! Just cut in half before freezing.
