1.25 cups warm water
1 tbsp sugar
1 packet dry yeast (approx .5 tbsp)
4 C. flour (can do half whole-wheat/half white)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp molassas
1.5 tsp salt
(if using half whole wheat, I add 2 tsp gluten powder so they stick together better)
Pour warm water into a large mixing bowl: add the sugar and the yeast and let to stand until yeast has activated (approx 5-10 minutes depending on room temperature). Add all of the rest of the ingredients (plus any other seasonings) and mix thoroughly. The dough may not blend well, but that’s okay, as it will all even out in the kneading.
Once wet and dry ingredients mixed together, form dough into a ball and begin kneading it. You will need to knead it thoroughly for 10 minutes. It will be a very stiff dough, but if it remains too dry or crumbly, add a couple of more tablespoons of warm water. You NEVER want a sticky dough, and if it is sticky, add small amounts of flour until it becomes easy to handle. A soft dough can become gummy in the boiling stage, so if it seems too pliant, add a couple of tablespoons of flour.
After the dough is kneaded, divide it up into 8 equally sized portions. Shape them into balls and poke a hole in the center with your thumbs and work into the ring shape of a traditional bagel. Leave them to rise for 10 minutes.
While the bagels are rising, pre-heat your oven for 425F, and begin a large pot (4 quart dutch oven is ideal) of water boiling on the stovetop. When the water reaches a boil, add 1 Tbsp baking soda to the water. This will help the bagels be more bouyant and not stick to each other or the sides of your pot.
Maintain a swift, rolling boil. Add two bagels to the pot. Boil on each side for 1 minute by the clock. Turn with a slotted spoon. After the boiling time has elapsed, remove with the slotted spoon and transfer to a baking sheet to cool. Boil the remaining bagels, as described. When all the bagels have boiled and cooled for about 5 minutes, transfer them to a lightly-greased jelly-roll pan and bake at 425 for about 15 minutes. Depending on your oven, more or less time may be needed. Look for a golden-brown coloration.
They need to cool about half an hour before you can slice and eat them.
I often flavor my bagels with garlic, caraway seeds, or sesame seeds in the dough. I recommend 1.5tsp minced garlic or 1 Tbsp caraway or sesame seeds. When I use sesame seeds, I also like to add a teaspoon of sesame oil to the dough, too.
If you want to have a seed topping, cover the bottom of your cooling pan with sesame seeds, caraway seeds, poppy seeds, or a mixture of your choice, and when you remove the bagels from the boiling water, place them directly on the seed toppings. Then, when you transfer them to your baking pan, place them seed-side up.
thanks for this post! never thought about making my own bagels, but now i’ll give it a try!
franzi
Awesome! I hope they turn out as nicely for you as they do for me!