Everything Bagels

Wow! These bagels are almost as good as the bagels from a bagel shop and far better than supermarket bagels. Bagels are fun to make because you have to boil them otherwise they end up like regular bread. Boiling them for 3 minutes sort of gelatinizes the starch molecules in the flour which then stiffens when baked so they are chewy rather than bready. The heavy moisture on the outside from boiling prevents them from getting crusty like bread. One tip I didn't use which I will try next time is to add a couple tablespoons of honey to the boiling water which helps caramelize the bagel during baking. Next time I will try onion bagels by adding 2 T of minced onion into the batter or I might try cheddar-jalapeno bagels (my Einstein Brothers bagel favorite) by topping the bagel with sliced jalapeño and shredded cheddar cheese before baking. If you like sesame or poppy seed bagels, you can substitute the Everything Bagel seasoning with that. 

Everything Bagels

3 3/4 cups flour plus flour set aside for dusting kneading surface)

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 cup warm water

4 tsp sugar

1 pkg dry yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp)

Egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 T water)

Everything Bagel seasoning

1. Combine 3 cups of flour with the salt in a large bowl and set aside.

2. Combine 1/2 cup water (if not sure about temp check so it is between 105-115 F) with the sugar to feed the yeast. Sprinkle on the yeast and stir. Let it sit for 5 min or until foamy or bubbly.

3. Pour yeast mixture into the flour and add the remaining 3/4 cups of water. Stir thoroughly.

4. Turn on to floured surface and knead with floured hands until dough is smooth and elastic (10-15 min). Add more water if needed. Place dough ball into greased bowl, turn once to coat dough, cover with a towel, and let rise in a warm place until almost double in size (about 1 hour).

5. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a fat log. Cut the log into 8 equal size pieces.

6. Shape the pieces into a ball by cupping the dough and continually rolling and pressing with your thumbs until you get a nice smooth, tight ball. Cover the 8 balls with a damp towel and let rest for 10 min.

7. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spread a large baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease/oil the parchment paper. Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to a boil.

8. Poke a hole in the center of each ball, one at a time, and then pull the center hole out with your fingers  to evenly make a 1 inch hole. Place on the parchment paper. Repeat with the other 7 balls. Let rest for 10 min.

9. Lower 2 or 3 bagels at a time into the boiling water. Boil uncovered for 3 minutes, turning over once after 1.5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and return to the baking sheet. Repeat with rest of the bagels and let cool for 5 min.

10. Lightly brush tops and sides of bagels with egg wash. Sprinkle generously with Everything Bagel seasoning.

11. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown on the surface. Cool on wire rack. Serve warm with cream cheese spread  or cut and pop into toaster later if you want a crisp bagel.