New York Style Bagels
I took a vote from friends and family and the unanimous result was bagels needed to be baked! There was even a very subtle *cough* bagels *cough* 🙂
There aren’t independent bagel shops in my neck of the woods, so I have to do most of my research online and by trying out different recipes. The recipe I found has many comments confirming these taste like true New York style bagels.
Jump to RecipeI tried both bread flour and all-purpose in two separate batches. There was a definite difference in the dough itself. The bread dough had to be kneaded longer, but came together really well. The all-purpose flour seemed to need a little bit more water. Both tasted fantastic!
After kneading, allow to rest for 15 minutes to one hour. The longer the dough rests, the thicker the bagels will be. The dough can be divided into 8 equal pieces or weighed.
Form each portion into a ball, and roll on your work surface.
Place a finger down the middle of the dough ball and stretch the center out. Place on a baking sheet to rest for an additional 10 minutes before boiling.
Boil each bagel for 30 to 45 seconds on each side. If you prefer a chewy bagel, the boiling time can be extended to 2 minutes on each side.
Top with egg wash and add toppings. Bake for 20 minutes at 425º.
Between the two batches I made 16 bagels. I kept 6 for myself and gave the rest to family. I ate two the first day and froze the rest. They were sliced before freezing and made breakfast this morning ridiculously easy.
New York Style Bagels
30
minutes40
minutesIngredients
2 teaspoons Yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons Sugar
1 1/4 cups/ 300mL Warm Water
3 1/2 cups/ 500 grams Bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoon Salt
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF/ 220ºC
- Add the yeast and sugar to 1/2 cup of the warm water. Let sit for five minutes.
- Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour the yeast mixture in.
- Pour in remaining water while mixing. You may need more or less water depending on your climate and the current weather. Your dough should be moist and firm.
- On a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough for about 8 to 10 minutes until smooth.
- Form dough into a round and place into a bowl to rise for about 1 hour until it has doubled in size. The bowl can be covered with a damp kitchen towel to keep dough from drying out.
- Once the dough has rested, turn it out onto your work surface. Divide into 8 equal pieces. A scale can be used for uniformity. Shape each piece into a ball, pinching the dough into itself at the bottom. Gently rotate each dough ball on the work surface with your hand.
- Coat a finger in flour, and press into the middle of each ball to form a ring. Stretch the ring and place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with each dough ball.
- Bring large pot of water to a boil, and reduce the heat. Boil each bagel for about 30 to 45 seconds on each side. The boil time may be extended to 2 minutes on each side to increase chewiness. Use a slotted spoon or spatula to remove the bagels and return to baking sheet.
- If you wish to top your bagels, first brush with an egg wash. This will help the topping stay on top of the bagel while baking and provide a little extra shine. An egg wash is made by whisking an egg, a small splash of water, and a pinch of salt. The salt helps the egg wash be a bit less stringy.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool on a wire rack. Bagels may be eaten immediately or stored for about 2 days. If they are to be frozen, I recommend slicing them first. This allows you to put them straight into a toaster from the freezer.
Source: Adapted from Sophisticated Gourmet