Homemade Bagel Recipe

I’ve written about my re-discovering the art of bread making but recently I took it to a new level, bagels!

A friend shared a recipe for me and I was skeptical, but I’m happy to report that making bagels is easier than making bread! I’ve taken the recipe she gave me, converted it to American measurements and tweaked it a little and here it is:

Oh, one important thing…keep in mind that forming a bagel takes practice, and you’ll eventually develop your own way of doing it. This recipe called for you to poke the handle of a wooden spoon through the dough and spin it, but I find it easier to roll dough balls and stick your finger through it. Your bagels will look funky but it’s alright because they’ll still taste wonderful.

Yum Yum Bagels! (homemade bagel recipe)

-Yields 8-12 bagels, depending on how large you make them

2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (or 1 packet)
4 Tbsp sugar (divided into 1 Tbsp and 3 Tbsp)
2 tsp salt
3.5 cups of flour (more or less)
bagel toppings* (optional)
water (1/2 cup and 1 cup)

1. In a small bowl mix ½ cup WARM water, yeast and sugar. Mix well and let sit for 10 minutes, until frothy.

2. Pour the frothy yeast mixture into a larger mixing bowl and add 1 cup WARM water and the salt, mix well. Slowly add half of the flour and mix well. Slowly add the rest of the flour, you may need slightly less or more flour, you want to have a ball of dough that is soft but not sticky. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, until the dough is easy to work with and your hands don’t stick to it.

3. Put the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and flip it over a few times. Cover with a wet, warm tea towel and leave to rise for about 1 hour.

4. Preheat your oven to 375 and bring a pot of water to a boil. Add 3 Tbsp sugar to the boiling water.

5. Punch dough down and divide into 8-12 pieces and form into balls (I usually get 10 pieces, which I rip right off the big ball of dough, I don’t worry about them being uniform in size). Stick your finger through the middle of each dough ball and form a bagel. Place on a greased baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap as you work.

6. Drop bagels, one or two at a time, into the boiling water. Boil for 1 minute, flip it over and boil for another minute. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bagel and return to the greased baking sheet. Put your toppings on the bagel while it’s still wet.

7. Bake your bagels for about 25-30 minutes on the top shelf. You may wish to run a spatula under them after 15 minutes to make sure they don’t stick.

*I usually use sesame seeds but poppy seeds, asiago cheese and garlic slivers are also good choices

Thanks for sharing the recipe, Maggie :)