Chances are if you have ever looked into making bagels at home you have seen the quote, “A bagel is a doughnut with rigor mortis.” It is true that bagels have a reputation for being dry, chewy, and only really good if you get one in New York City, but I think that if you like bagels the only versions worth your time and calories are homemade.
I really love homemade bagels. Maybe it’s because they are in every way better than supermarket versions or chain bagel store bagels that, in Wisconsin, may be the closest we can come to a “real” bagel. I have made a number of different varieties in my kitchen, but never one as soft as the one I tried today. This conventional yeast recipe from Jewish food authority Claudia Roden is the bagel you would want to make a sandwich with, it is billowy soft inside, but still has that characteristic bagel flavor. I have never seen a bagel dough with an egg added, which Claudia brilliantly does to make a softer bite.
In the past I have read about the history of bagels, how they were a bread reminiscent of the struggle of the Jewish people, and how no one really liked them, but they were happy for the sustenance – perhaps paralleling the manna falling from Heaven all those years ago. Until reviewing Claudia’s recipe her book The Book of Jewish Food, I never knew that the circular shape of the bagel is also symbolic of “the eternal cycle of life,” and traditionally were eaten to ward off demons and evil spirits, a good luck charm of sorts.
There are two camps on forming bagels. It seems most traditionalists prefer rolling a “snake” of dough (about 10 inches long), and moistening the ends to help them adhere. I like better rolling the dough into tight balls and letting them rest a few minutes before puncturing their middles and widening them from the inside out. Not only is it much faster, but I think it makes them more uniform, since bagel dough is very dry and hard to roll into a snake. I also like a bagel with a smaller center hole, that way all my jam stays right where it’s supposed to!
end of second rise.
I have added barley malt syrup (also called extract) to Claudia’s recipe. I like the flavor it imparts, as well as its ability to help color the crust. One little jar will last you a very long time if you buy it especially for this recipe, but to justify the purchase you can add a teaspoon to just about any bread recipe to help promote a deep colored crust. I feel that it’s exceptional “yeast food” as well. While it is possible to knead this dough by hand, I wouldn’t recommend it unless you have incredible strength and stamina. Let your stand mixer handle it for you.
Bagels (adapted from Claudia Roden in The Book of Jewish Food)
yield 8 sandwich-sized bagels
500 g. (3 ½ c.) bread flour
2 ¼ t. (or one packet) instant yeast (fast acting, that can be added directly to flour – like this one)
1 ½ t. kosher salt
1 T. granulated sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 ½ T. vegetable oil
½ c. tepid water, additional if necessary
1 T. barley malt syrup
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine flour, yeast, salt and sugar and stir well to combine. In a small bowl (or two cup measure), combine water, egg, oil and barley malt extract. Stir well to combine thoroughly.
With the mixer running, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. You will likely need a bit of extra water to get the dough to come together. (Take care not to add too much, since this is a stiff dough. It will feel soft and pliable – almost rubbery and not sticky at all.) Knead for 10 minutes, until very smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, and let rise until doubled in size 1 to 1 ½ hours.
Turn the dough out onto an unfloured surface (do not add any additional flour), and lightly deflate the dough by kneading gently a time or two. Portion into 8 pieces (I am particular, and weigh my dough to ensure uniformity) and form each piece into a ball (similarly to forming a pizza dough, by forming an outside “skin” on the dough). If you have trouble with the dough slipping on your board, sprinkle or spritz with water – it really helps. Let them rest for 5 minutes, then using your thumb and middle finger pinch a hole through the middle of the dough ball. Using both index fingers (roll them, as if you are playing pat-a-cake, for lack of a better visual), stretch the center hole larger, and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour more.
Toward the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 375. Prepare a large pot of water, at least 3 inches deep, and bring it to a boil. Drop the risen bagels a few at a time into the boiling water bath and boil 1 minute on each side. (I like to drop them in top side down first, that way they are facing the right side up when you remove them from the water.) Using a slotted spoon, remove to a wire rack set over a baking pan to catch the water. When still tacky, top bagels with seeds, coarse salt, or whatever bagel topping you like.
Place bagels back on parchment lined baking sheet, and bake for 15-20 minutes until the bagels are browned to your liking. Let cool slightly before slicing, or eat them hot out of the oven.
While most sources say that the only way to eat a bagel is when it is still warm, I usually prefer a bagel toasted. Since that is my preference, I have found that freezing them is perfectly acceptable – and they can go directly from freezer to toaster. Just be sure that before you freeze them, you wait until they are fully cooled and then cut them almost all the way through. I read years ago that a high percentage of kitchen mishaps resulting in emergency room visits are due to people wielding sharp knives on the bellies of frozen bagels… (Speaking of emergencies, I also find bagels to be good “emergency breads” when tucked away in the freezer. While I don’t like regular bread after it has been frozen, bagels hold up better due to their sturdy nature.)
Bagel bakery is some of my favorite to play around with. If you are interested in checking out some of my other bagel experiments, you can see find some conventional yeast bagels here and some of my favorite sourdough bagels here. If you are really ready to embark on the full bagel experience, maybe try some homemade cream cheese made with yogurt to go with them! That would be really good on a sandwich…
