How To Make Plain Bagels

There are many different recipes and methods for baking bagels. The process that I am going to explain is very similar to what is done in professional bagel bakeries. However, it has been modified to fit the confines of a typical home kitchen.

Baking bagels the authentic way requires a bit of skill and practice, but when done right can produce fantastic results in your own home oven!

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Helpful Tools

• 8 quart stock pot
• standard home oven and range
• large spatula
• large metal tongs
• bread machine
• large handled plastic strainer
• cooling rack
• custom burlap covered bagel boards
• baking/pizza stone (12"W x 12"D) Note: It can be larger but not smaller
• cookie sheet

The Recipe

1 1/2 cups of warm water (110 to 115 F / 45 C)
1 Tbsp dry bread machine yeast
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp barley malt syrup (available at health food or bakery supply stores)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 1/2-5 cups of bread flour
2 tsp of wheat gluten
2 tsp of kosher salt
1/4 cup corn meal

Note: Makes 12 bagels

Mixing The Dough

I like to use a bread machine to mix and knead the dough. So I put all the ingredients directly into the bread machine pan. In order to dirty as few dishes as possible.

1. Pour in 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil.
2. Pour in 1 1/2 cups hot water.
3. Barley malt syrup is refrigerated and doesn't really pour; so I usually scoop 1 Tbsp out and then place the measuring spoon into the warm/hot water until it dissovles.
4. Add 1 Tbsp of granulated sugar.
5. Add 1 Tbsp of bread machine yeast.
6. Add 1 1/2 of the 4 1/2 total cups of bread flour.
7. Add 2 tsp. of wheat gluten.
8. Let this stand for about 5 minutes.
9. Add remaining 3 cups of flour.
10. Add 2 tsp. of kosher salt.
11. Set the bread machine to its dough setting and have it knead the dough for about 20 minutes.

Stuff to do while waiting for the dough...

1. Center baking stone on middle oven rack.
2. Preheat oven to 450 F
3. Fill the stock pot half way with water and bring to a rolling boil.

4. Evenly cover cookie sheet with 1/4 cup of corn meal (to prevent bagel dough from sticking)
5. Wet down the burlap bagel boards liberally with cold water. You may need to do this again just before loading the boards with bagels.

Form and Shape Bagels

Remove dough from bread machine and divide and shape into 12 dough-balls.

Push your thumb through the center making a hole and shape the bagel by rotating it around with both hands. Be sure to make the hole larger then normal as the dough will rise during the baking process.

Boil The Bagels

Using the large plastic handled strainer place 6 bagels at once into the boiling water and gently stir.

Try to keep the bagels submerged in boiling water as much as possible. Boil for about 45 seconds.

When the bagels are finished boiling they should feel a bit spongy and offer little resistance when doing a pinch test.  Be careful they are really hot!!

Note: If the bagels are not boiled long enough they will turn into baseballs in the oven. If they are boiled too long then they will go flat and lose there shape.

It is critical that the bagel boards are wetted down liberally with cold water so they don't get too hot to handle!!

Scoop the bagels out all at once with the strainer and place onto burlap boards bottom-side up (usually a little yellow from sitting on the corn meal).

Note: The purpose of the bagel boards is to provide a non-stick surface that will stay relatively cool in the oven while drying the bottom of the bagels. This allows the bagels to be flipped after 2 minutes of baking and helps to preserve the bagels shape. It also ensures the bagel is baked evenly on the top and bottom.

Set the oven timer for two minutes and place the bagel boards into the oven.

Flip The Bagels

After two minutes flip the bagels.

Set oven timer for another 10 minutes.

Remove The Bagels

When bagels turn a shiny golden brown color carefully remove them with large metal tongs or a spatula and oven peel.

Put the hot bagels onto a cooling rack.

Repeat the baking process for the remaining 6 bagels.

Note: I would reduce the boil time to 25-30 seconds for the second batch to prevent over boiling the bagels. This is due to the yeast being more activated in the remaining unbaked bagels.

Enjoy!!