Basic Bagel For The Bread Machine Recipes

HOMEMADE BAGELS RECIPE

Steps:

• Whisk the warm water and yeast together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
• Add the flour, brown sugar, and salt. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. The dough is very stiff and will look somewhat dry.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With lightly floured hands, knead the dough for 4-5 minutes. The dough is too heavy for the mixer to knead it!
• Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 60-90 minutes or until double in size.
• Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• When the dough is ready, punch it down to release any air bubbles. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. (Just eyeball it- doesn't need to be perfect!) Shape each piece into a ball. Press your index finger through the center of each ball to make a hole about 1.5 - 2 inches in diameter. Watch video above for a visual. Loosely cover the shaped bagels with kitchen towel and rest for a few minutes as you prepare the water bath.
• Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).
• Fill a large, wide pot with 2 quarts of water. Whisk in the honey. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-high. Drop bagels in, 2-4 at a time, making sure they have enough room to float around. Cook the bagels for 1 minute on each side.
• Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash on top and around the sides of each bagel. Place 4 bagels onto each lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. You want the bagels to be a dark golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow bagels to cool on the baking sheets for 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Slice, toast, top, whatever you want! Cover leftover bagels tightly and store at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

BASIC BAGEL (FOR THE BREAD MACHINE)

Steps:

• Remove dough from the machine after the first knead- approximately 20- 30 minutes.
• Place dough on floured surface.
• Divide into 8 parts.
• Form balls, gently press thumb through center of ball and slowly stretch into bagel shape.
• While bagels rise, bring 3 quarts water and 1 TBS sugar to a rapid boil in a large sauce pan.
• Drop test dough (see first success hint).
• Using slotted spoon, drop 2-3 bagels into rapidly boiling water.
• Boil on each side for 1 1/2 minutes.
• Remove and cool on rack 1 minute, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds, if desired.
• Bake at 400°F on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal, until golden brown- approximately 15 minutes.
• Bagel Success Hints: When forming bagels, set aside two 1/4" balls of dough.
• When bagels have doubled in size, drop the test dough into boiling water.
• Dough should pop to the top right away.
• When this happens, it is time to boil the bagels.
• A quick spray of non-stick vegetable coating on the top of the bagel may be substituted for the egg wash.
• To make bagel sticks, cut bagel before rising and lay out in a straight line.
• Roll sticks in a combination of sesame and poppy seeds with a pinch of garlic powder.
• Let sticks rise, boil, and bake as described in Basic Bagel process steps above.
• To make bagel chips, slice leftover bagels horizontally into thin slices.
• Brush with butter or margarine on one side.
• Lay (butter side up) on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 325°F for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.

REAL HOMEMADE BAGELS

Steps:

• Combine 1 1/4 cup water, flour, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, vegetable oil, and yeast in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low speed using the dough hook until well-developed, about 8 minutes. To ensure the gluten has developed fully, cut off a walnut-sized piece of dough. Flour your fingers, and then stretch the dough: if it tears immediately, the dough needs more kneading. Fully developed dough should form a thin translucent "windowpane."
• Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel, and let rise for 2 hours.
• Punch the dough down, place it on a lightly floured work surface, and use a knife or dough scraper to divide the dough into 6 pieces (or more, for smaller bagels). Roll each piece of dough into a sausage shape about 6 inches long. Join the ends to form a circle. Repeat with the remaining dough, and let the bagels rest for 15 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange small plates with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and onion flakes next to the baking sheet.
• Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Add honey, if desired (see Editor's Note). Boil the bagels, three at a time, until they rise to the surface of the pot, about 1 minute per side. Remove the bagels with a slotted spoon and place them on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Dip the tops of the wet bagels into the toppings and arrange them, seeds up, on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse salt, if desired. Bake in the preheated oven until the bagels begin to brown, 15 to 20 minutes.