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Bagels

Equipment

  • Stand mixer with paddle and dough hook attachments
  • Large mixing bowl
  • 2 baking sheets
  • Parchment paper

Ingredients

For bagel dough

  • 4 cups King Arthur unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 4 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
  • 1 ½ cups hot water (120°-130°)
  • 1 teaspoon extra vigin olive oil

For boiling bagels

  • 1 gallon water
  • 1 ½ tablespoons dried malt extract

For toppings

  • 1 egg white, beaten with 1 teaspoon water
  • toppings of choice (poppy seed, sesame seed, chopped garlic, salt, etc.)

Instructions

  • Cover each baking sheet with parchment paper.

Prepare dough

  • To mixer bowl, add 3 cups flour and yeast.
  • Mix briefly at low speed, using paddle attachment.
  • Add sugar and salt.
  • Mix briefly at low speed.
  • Pour in hot water.
  • Mix on low speed for 2 minutes.
  • Add balance of flour, a small portion at a time, continuing to stir at low speed.
  • When batter gets thick and heavy, replace paddle with dough hook.
  • Using dough hook, knead at medium-low speed for 10 minutes.
  • If dough sticks to side of bowl, add flour.
  • Dough should be firm and solid when pinched.

First rising

  • Put 1 teaspoon olive oil in large mixing bowl.
  • Place dough in bowl.
  • Turn dough to coat with oil.
  • Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap.
  • Let sit at room temperature until dough doubles in volume, approx. 1 hour.

Prepare water for boiling bagels

  • Meanwhile, bring 1 gallon water to boil in large pot.
  • Add dried malt extract to boiling water.
  • Reduce heat to simmer, with water barely moving.

Shaping

  • Turn dough onto flour-dusted work surface.
  • Punch down dough with extended fingers.
  • Divide dough into 10 equal pieces.
  • Shape each piece into a ball.
  • Allow balls to relax a few minutes.
  • Flatten each ball with palm of your hand.
  • With thumb, press deep into center of flattened ball.
  • Tear depression open with fingers.
  • With finger placed in opening in dough, twirl dough on counter until it looks like a bagel. At this point, hole should be fairly large.
  • Finish shaping by hand. Bagels should be evenly sized, with a large hole in the middle. If there is only a small hole, it likely will close up during the second rising.

Second rising

  • Cover bagels with wax paper.
  • Leave a room temperature until dough has risen slightly, approx. 10 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 400° F.

Boil

  • Gently place 2-3 bagels in simmering water, one at a time. Do not crowd them.
  • Bagels should sink then rise after a few seconds.
  • After each bagel rises, simmer for 30 second, turn bagel over, and simmer for 30 more seconds.
  • Remove bagel from water and place on tea towel. Thanks to malt extract, bagels should be shiny as they come out of the water.
  • After a moment, move bagel from tea towel to baking sheet.
  • Repeat for all bagels.

Bake

  • Brush tops of bagels with egg white and water mixture.
  • Sprinkle toppings of choice on bagels.
  • Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. When bagel tops turn light brown, turn bagels over.
  • Place bagels on metal rack to cool.

Notes

Adapted from Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads, Revised and Expanded.