Making bagels from scratch is so rewarding - when they are fluffy on the inside and crunchy on the outside, nothing beats it. I have spent a lot of time traveling to the USA and I quickly became hooked on a great bagel. I pretty much has one every single day with out fail. I just love a warm toasted bagel. But they are just not as good here and once you have had a classic New York bagel you can't go back!!!
My kids always wanted to try this so called New York bagel that in their words "I couldn't shut up about". So I have tried and tested this recipe until it was a close as I could get it to that memory planted on my brain and with a bit of help from my twin brother and pastry chef, we have accomplished the great American bagel!
So kids, enjoy!
New York Style Bagels
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook time: 30 mins
- Serves: 10
- Preheat The Oven To 180°
Ingredients
Bagel Dough
1 cup warm water
½ cup warm milk
2 ½ teaspoons dry yeast
2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
4 cups bread flour + additional for kneading
2 teaspoons salt
Boiling Water
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 to 3 tablespoons honey
1 ½ teaspoons salt
Egg Wash
1 large egg
1 tablespoon whole milk
What makes bagels so good is the variety of spreads and fillings. This is where the world becomes your oyster because you can decide to have what ever you want with your bagels.
They can be severed up sweet, savoury or even with just plain old butter. But if you are unsure what to try first I highly recommend smoked salmon, white onion, dill and cream cheese filling in our sesame seed and sea salt bagel.
Method
Make the Dough
To make the dough, we start by proofing the yeast. To do this, pour ¼ cup of warm water, sprinkle the yeast, then add 1 teaspoon of sugar into a jug. Mix well, cover and set it aside for about 10 minutes. It should start to froth and bubble.
2. Now, in a large bowl mix (we use the eKu Whisk in Avocado) together the bread flour, salt, and remaining sugar. Pour in the remaining 3/4 cups of warm water, warm milk, and proofed yeast we set aside earlier.
Knead the dough for a few minutes until elastic and soft. We started kneading in my bench mixer to combine the ingredients and then finish by hand, but don't knead for too long, just enough so the dough is light. If you find the dough is too dry you can add little splash of water or on the other end if the mixture is too sticky you can add a sprinkle of flour.
3. Place kneaded dough on a clean surface and use a rolling pin to into a slab. This will make it easier to divide the dough into 8-10 equal servings. Then roll the divided dough into a cylinder and meet the ends around to from a bagel shape and place on a large everyday chopping board
Boiling The Bagels
Fill a large pot up with water about 3/4 of the way up and bring to the boil. Once bubbling add honey and baking soda. By doing this you will help create that beautifully golden crust and enrich the flavour of the bagels you get at the end. You can place a few in the pot at a time, but try to keep them separated from each other. Tt should take around 4-8 minutes but once they start to float they are ready to be taken out of the water. Repeat this process until all the bagels have been boiled.
Bagel Topping
Whisk together the egg and splash of milk to create the egg wash. This will help the topping stick better. Brush the boiled bagels with the egg wash and sprinkle or add your toppings of choice. I decided to go with both a sweet and savoury option with Sea Salt and Sesame and then a cinnamon sugar bagel.
Baking
Once you have the toppings to your liking. Move your bagels to a baking tray ready to be baked. Place them into the oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and crispy on the outside. This doesn't take long so keep an eye on them!
The bagels are now ready to be enjoyed. use a knife to cut them in half and add your choice of filling or enjoy them freshly baked and warm!