Homemade New York Style Bagels
Here is the deal, if you follow this recipe as written, you will make amazing bagels. It is just that simple! There are a lot of bagel recipes on the internet that promise the same thing that I promise you. What is the difference between their claim and mine? Well, it’s simple; they are lying.
Making the perfect bagel is easy, but the process takes a lot of time. It takes almost 24 hours. Most of that time is allowing the dough to rest. It is so essential to allow this time so the dough can rise.
These bagels are also boiled before baking. Boiling helps set the bagels and allows them to be chewy on the outside and soft inside. It’s crucial to allow them to boil 2 minutes on each side.
Shaping the bagels is much easier than you are probably thinking. It is as simple as making a hole in a dough ball and stretching it out.
I have listed a few toppings in the recipe, but the options are limitless. I like the “Everything Spice Blend,” which can be found in most supermarkets.
The Homemade New York Style Bagel recipe is one of my favorite to make. It has a huge wow factor. Your friends will be skeptical as to if you made them or bought them.
Don’t forget my promise. You are about to make the best Homemade New York Style Bagel that has been. Congratulations!, and you are welcome!
Homemade New York Style Bagels
Bagels made the classic way: They are boiled in water for a couple of minutes before baking. This is probably one of the most bizarre things a person can do to the dough, but it works. So, if good bagels cannot be found where you live, worry no more; this recipe is adaptable, and the little bit of effort you put into making these bagels is well worth it.
Ingredients
The Poolish
- 1 1/4 cups or 166g all-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
- 3/4 cup or 198g lukewarm water (90° to 105°F)
The Dough
- 1 1/2 cups or 340g water (90° to 105°F)
- 5 1/2 cups or 663g All-Purpose Flour
- 2 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 teaspoon instant yeast
Water Bath
- 2 tablespoons or 43g barley malt syrup you can substitute molasses
- 1 tablespoon or 18g salt
Toppings
- sesame seeds, coarse salt, dehydrated onion, poppy seeds, everything Bagel Topping, or Asiago Cheese.
Instructions
To make the poolish
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In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and yeast. Add the water, mixing until smooth.
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Cover and let rest at room temperature for 8 hours.
To make the dough
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In a large mixing bowl combine the poolish with the water, mixing by hand to break up the poolish. Add the flour, salt, and yeast, stirring by hand or on low speed of a stand mixer until the dough forms a cohesive, shaggy, tacky mass. Do not add more flour.
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Place the dough in a bowl, cover, and allow it to rest for 2 hours, stretching and folding the dough over onto itself three or four times in the bowl after 1 hour.
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Without touching the dough again, place the bowl in the refrigerator overnight, or for 8 to 12 hours.
The next day
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The next day, remove the dough from the refrigerator and leave it at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours.
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Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces; if you have a scale each piece will weigh about 114g.
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Shape each piece into a tight ball, place on a lightly floured surface, then cover and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes.
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To shape the bagels: Using your fingers, poke a hole in the middle of each ball, gently expanding the hole until it’s 2” to 3” in diameter
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While the bagels are resting, preheat the oven to 475°F. If you have a baking stone, place it on the middle rack in the oven and have ready two pieces of parchment large enough to fit the stone. To bake on baking sheets, line two pans with parchment and set aside.
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To prepare the water bath: Put 4” of water in a shallow (wide) 6-quart pot, then add the barley malt syrup and the salt. Bring to a medium boil.
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Carefully place three bagels at a time in the water bath. Boil the bagels for 30 seconds on one side. Using a slotted spoon, flip them over. Boil the bagels for another 60 to 90 seconds.
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Remove the bagels from the water, allowing them to drip dry for a few seconds before placing them 2” to 3” apart on the prepared parchment or parchment-lined pan; you should be able to get six bagels per parchment/pan
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Sprinkle any toppings onto the bagels. Alternatively, dip the bagels into a shallow bowlful of the toppings before returning to the parchment/pan.
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Bake the bagels for 20 to 25 minutes, either in two batches if baking on a stone, or rotating the pans halfway through if using baking sheets. The bagels are done when the bottoms and sides are a deep mahogany brown and firm.
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Remove the bagels from the oven and cool them on a rack. Store bagels at room temperature for up to one day, or wrap and freeze for longer storage.
A tip from dougbakes.com
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To shape bagels ahead of time and bake the following morning (to serve fresh for breakfast or brunch): Shape, place on a parchment-lined or cornmeal-dusted baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate. In the morning proceed with the recipe as written, boiling bagels immediately out of the refrigerator.