Homemade Bagels Step-by-Step Tutorial

I have always been intimidated by the idea of making homemade bagels.  Fresh-made bagels from a specialty shop are so delicious, that I figured I couldn’t even come close at home.  I knew that their were several steps and some unique techniques, so I thought it was something that would be easier to see done than just learned from a recipe.

Well, this weekend fresh bagels sounded really good, so I got brave and gave them a try!  I found a great recipe from the Prudent Homemaker.  We made the first batch on Friday evening while we waited for Daddy to get home from work.

I was AMAZED!  They were so delicious and just like our favorite fresh-made, store-bought bagels!  For dinner that night, we ate cheese-topped bagels along with fresh homemade tomato basil soup, then the kids had a raisin bagel for dessert.

By Saturday evening, we only had one bagel left, so we made another batch.  The kids really want to have them in their school lunches on Monday.

For those of you who are visual learners, I took pictures along the way, so you don’t have to be intimidated by the process.  Here goes!

Homemade Bagels

Ingredients

• 3 cups warm water (105-110 degrees)
• 2 Tablespoons yeast*
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 5 teaspoons salt
• 7 cups flour
• 1 egg white (for glaze)
• 1 Tablespoon water (for glaze)
• toppings and/or mix-ins of choice

*used to be 4 Tbsp, but I halved it and it worked fine!

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water, yeast and sugar.  Let yeast bubble and foam for about 10 minutes.

Mix in salt.  Add in flour and stir until dough comes together.  When it becomes difficult to stir, use your hands to knead the dough.

Knead dough on your working surface for 5 minutes, adding additional flour if dough becomes sticky.

If you want to add mix-ins to some of your bagels, you’ll want to do that at this point.  The recipe will make 16 large bagels.  I divided my dough into quarters so I can make several different kinds.  This time, I’m adding raisins to 1/4 of it, craisins to 1/4 of it and keeping the other 1/2 plain.

Once you’ve kneaded in your mix-ins, put each ball of dough in a floured bowl to rise.

Cover your dough with a tea towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for an hour.  I spent the afternoon canning tomatoes,  cooking beans, and making blackberry cobbler, so my kitchen was plenty warm!

After an hour, your dough should have about doubled in size.

Divide your dough into 16 equal pieces.  If you have all your dough together, divide it into fourths, then divide each fourth into four parts.

I use a dough scraper/cutter whenever I’m make bread or other pastries.  I prefer plastic ones because I don’t have to worry about it scraping of marring any surfaces.  The curved edge is perfect for scraping out bowls.

To form bagels, roll each piece of dough into a ball, then press your thumbs into the center to make the hole.  (That tumor in the picture below is a cluster of raisins.)

Lay on a lightly floured working surface (more flour than in the picture).  You can see bagels at the top of the picture were done first and were already starting to rise by the time we finished (my 6-year-old was my helper).

Cover and allow to rise for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare a pot of lightly boiling water.  You pot doesn’t need to be super deep, just deep enough to hold enough water so the bagels don’t touch the bottom of the pan. Adding a tablespoon of sugar helps give the bagels a nice sheen.

Also, spray two large cookie sheets with non-stick cooking spray.

After bagels have had about 10 minutes to puff up, careful bring them to your boiling water 1 or 2 at a time.  You can have 2-4 in your water at a time, depending on the diameter of your pan.

Set a timer for 1 minute.  After a minute, flip the bagels over using a slotted spatula.  Allow bagels to boil on the other side for about 30 seconds.

Remove the bagels from the pot with a slotted spatula.  Allow them to drip off over the pot, then flip them onto your greased cookie sheet so the prettier side is up.  Repeat until all the bagels have taken their turn in the boiling water.

Whisk the egg white with a tablespoon of water for a glaze.  If you have a fancy utensil you can brush the glaze over the bagels, otherwise, you can just use your finger, like me!  This time I left the raisin and craisin bagels plain on top, but we’ve also sprinkled cinnamon and sugar on the tops which, of course, was a big hit with the munchkins.

This time we tried some onion bagels.  I re-hydrated some dehydrated onion in a bowl when I started making the dough.  I drained off the water the spread some of the onions on the bagels tops after glazing them with egg white.

My favorite kind of bagels are the cheesy ones!  Using a cheese slicer, I cut thin slices of regular cheddar cheese that I broke into pieces and spread around the tops of my bagels after glazing them.

Heat the oven to 450 degrees.  Have your oven racks spread apart so that you can fit both pans in at once.  Total cooking time will be 25-30 minutes, but after half of the time has passed, switch your pans.  That way, they each have an equal opportunity to get their bottoms and tops turn a beautiful golden brown.

Use a spatula to take a peek at the bottoms near the end of their baking time to be sure they don’t burn.  When they look good on the bottom and top, they’re done!  Use a spatula to move them to a cooling rack.  Enjoy warm or let them cool and store in an airtight container.  If your house is like mine, they won’t last long, but if they do, bagels freeze like a dream!

The possibilities are endless when it comes to toppings and mix-ins for homemade bagels.  Get creative and experiment to find your favorites!  If you’re a vanilla kind of person, just leave them plain!

5.0 from 3 reviews

Homemade Bagels

 

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Create a gourmet bakery treat with this simple recipe and your favorite bagel toppings or mix-ins! For more information see the step-by-step photo tutorial here: https://www.sixfiguresunder.com/homemade-bagels-tutorial/

Author: Stephanie @ SixFiguresUnder.com

Serves: 16 large bagels

Ingredients

• 3 cups warm water (105-110 degrees)
• 2 Tablespoons yeast
• ¼ cup sugar
• 5 teaspoons salt
• 7 cups flour
• 1 egg white (for glaze)
• 1 Tablespoon water (for glaze)
• toppings and/or mix-ins of choice

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water, yeast and sugar. Let yeast bubble and foam for about 10 minutes.
2. Mix in salt. Add in flour and stir until dough comes together. When it becomes difficult to stir, use your hands to knead the dough.
3. Knead dough on your working surface for 5 minutes, adding additional flour if dough becomes sticky.
4. If you want to add mix-ins to some of your bagels, you’ll want to do that at this point.
5. Once you’ve kneaded in your mix-ins, put each ball of dough in a floured bowl to rise.
6. Cover your dough with a tea towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for an hour. After an hour, your dough should have about doubled in size.
7. Divide your dough into 16 equal pieces. If you have all your dough together, divide it into fourths, then divide each fourth into four parts.
8. To form bagels, roll each piece of dough into a ball, then press your thumbs into the center to make the hole.
9. Lay on a lightly floured working surface. Cover and allow to rise for about 10 minutes.
10. Meanwhile, prepare a pot of lightly boiling water. You pot doesn’t need to be super deep, just deep enough to hold enough water so the bagels don’t touch the bottom of the pan. Adding a tablespoon of sugar helps give the bagels a nice sheen. Also, spray two large cookie sheets with non-stick cooking spray.
11. After bagels have had about 10 minutes to puff up, careful bring them to your boiling water 1 or 2 at a time. You can have 2-4 in your water at a time, depending on the diameter of your pan.
12. Set a timer for 1 minute. After a minute, flip the bagels over using a slotted spatula. Allow bagels to boil on the other side for about 30 seconds.
13. Remove the bagels from the pot with a slotted spatula. Allow them to drip off over the pot, then flip them onto your greased cookie sheet so the prettier side is up. Repeat until all the bagels have taken their turn in the boiling water.
14. Whisk the egg white with a tablespoon of water for a glaze. Brush the glaze over the bagels.
15. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Have your oven racks spread apart so that you can fit both pans in at once. Total cooking time will be 25-30 minutes, but after half of the time has passed, switch your pans. That way, they each have an equal opportunity to get their bottoms and tops turn a beautiful golden brown.
16. Use a spatula to take a peek at the bottoms near the end of their baking time to be sure they don’t burn. When they look good on the bottom and top, they’re done! Use a spatula to move them to a cooling rack. Enjoy warm or let them cool and store in an airtight container. If your house is like mine, they won’t last long, but if they do, bagels freeze like a dream!

3.5.3251

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