Bagels

What is better than bagels? Homemade bagels, of course. I haven't made bagels in a while, and these definitely hit the spot. The crust was thick, crunchy, and chewy, while the center was still very tender and soft. I will be trying a cinnamon swirl-raisin variation on these bagels soon. This recipe is adapted from two different King Arthur Flour recipes. You can find the original recipes here and here.

Homemade Bagels

Starter:

2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) unbleached bread flour

1 cup (8 ounces) water

1/16 teaspoon (or pinch) instant yeast

Combine the flour, water, and yeast; mix until well combined. Cover and let rest at room temperature overnight.

Dough:

All of the starter

2 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) unbleached bread flour

1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

2 teaspoons salt

1 Tablespoon malted milk powder

1/2 cup (4 ounces) water

Water Bath:

Enough warm water to fill a 10 - inch diameter pan about 1 - inch deep

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

Combine all ingredients either by hand or in a mixer, and knead vigorously, by hand for 10 to 15 minutes, or by mixer on medium-low speed for about 10 minutes. The dough will be very stiff. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Set aside to rise until puffy (may not double in size) for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Divide dough into 16 pieces (for about 2 1/2 ounce bagels), or 8 pieces for larger (roughly 5 ounce) bagels. Roll each piece into a round, smooth ball. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.

Poke a hole with your finger in the middle of each dough ball, then twirl the dough with two fingers to stretch the hole until it is about 1 1/2 inches. Place each bagel on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise again for about 45 minutes.

While the dough is rising, heat the water and brown sugar to a gentle boil, and preheat the oven to 400F. Transfer the bagels ( about four at a time) to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes on one side, then carefully flip them over and cook for 1 minute longer.

Sprinkle the wet bagels with any seeds of your choice ( I used a mix of sesame and poppy seeds). Bake the bagels for 20 to 25 minutes, then cool completely on a wire cooling rack. Makes 16 small bagels, or 8 large bagels.

Enjoy! -Cardamommy