Homemade Bagels

How to Make Your Own Bagels

AND they are done! Bagels are at least once a week breakfast item in our house but since starting my blog I have deprived my family of bagels because every time I'm at the store and walk by bagels I tell myself ... "Self, you can make those ... that should be your next post." So I continue on without the bagels and then I get home and go eeehhhh ... not today. 

Apparently I was feeling over zealous desperately needing something other than peanut butter toast or oatmeal for breakfast tomorrow and decided at 5pm to make these. I absolutely LOVE bread of all kinds and fresh bread is the best but waiting for it to rise is like watching paint dry, ugh! I really need to get the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, I've heard great things about this cookbook and feel like it could really help my love affair with fresh bread. :)

I've made bagels before on a few occasions and there are SO many recipes out there but the one from Sophisticated Gourmet caught my eye as I was thumbing through  so I just went for it with a few tweaks ONLY because I was limited on flour.  

General bagel process: Make dough. Knead. Let rise. Punch down. Let rest. Divide. Roll into balls. Poke hole and stretch. Let rest. Boil. Flip. Boil. Bake.

Einstein Bros. inspired - Cinnamon Sugar Bagels

plain janes

Homemade Bagels

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 1/4 cup warm water

3 cups all purpose flour (extra for kneading)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Put yeast and sugar in 1/2 cup warm water. Let set for 5 minutes. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Mix flour and salt together in a large bowl. Make well. Add yeast, sugar, water mixture to well. Add remaining 3/4 cup water. Mix until blended. Fold thick moist dough out onto floured work surface. Knead until smooth and just slightly tacky (about 5-10 minutes). Grease clean bowl. Place kneaded dough in bowl and turn dough over to coat with oil from bowl. Cover with towel and allow 1 hour to rise (on the stove top of a preheating over is a perfect spot) or until doubled in size. Punch the dough down. Allow 10 minutes to rest. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Shape into ball and use your finger to poke hole and stretch out. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Cover and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Fill stock pot half full with water and bring to boil. Preheat oven to 425 degrees if not already. Using spoon place bagels into boiling water. Allow to boil for 30 seconds on each side. Remove bagels from water and place on a cooling rack (now would be the perfect time to sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar sprinkle OR leave plain). Transfer back to cookie sheet and back for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 8 bagels.

I made a double batch and made a few smaller than the original recipe recommended. I ended up with 22 bagels. It will be well worth have some in the freezer for next time!

Cinnamon-Sugar Sprinkle

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon of cinnamon

Blend well. Store in an air-tight container. 

before 1 hour rise - double batch

boiling step. longer boil = chewier crust

before baking, cinnamon sugar

before baking, plain

I will admit, I ate one of eat and they were well worth the wait ... we will see what the kids think in the morning! 

Today's Question - What's your favorite bagel flavor or topping?