Best Whole Wheat Bagel Recipes

WHOLE WHEAT BAGELS

Steps:

• Place water, honey, vital wheat gluten, salt, yeast, and whole wheat flour in the bread maker in that order. Select "Dough" setting. Let the bread maker work, about 2 hours.
• Remove finished dough from bread maker and punch it down on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into 8 equal-sized sections and pat into balls. Push a thumb through each ball to make a hole; shape the bagels as round as possible. Place on a plate and cover with a clean towel; let rest for 15 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a clean towel. Sprinkle a separate baking sheet with cornmeal.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add sugar. Add bagels to the water, 2 at a time. Boil for 1 minute, turning them over halfway through. Remove bagels from the water with a slotted spoon and drain on the towel-lined baking sheet.
• Transfer bagels to the prepared baking sheet. Brush bagels with egg white.
• Bake in the preheated oven until browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.

HOMEMADE WHOLE WHEAT BAGELS!

Steps:

• Place the warm water and yeast in a bowl and allow the yeast to dissolve completely. Set aside.
• Combine the flour, syrup, salt and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Pour in the yeast mixture, making sure all of the yeast gets into the mixing bowl.
• Mix on low until there isn't much loose flour left and a dough looks shredded (about 2 minutes).
• Increase the speed to medium and continue mixing until you get a smooth, stiff, elastic dough (about 8-9 minutes). If the dough starts separating into 2 sections or gets stuck on the hook, stop the machine and push the dough down to the bottom of the bowl.Form the dough into a ball and place it in a large bowl coated with oil. Turn the dough in the bowl so that it gets coated with oil. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and set it in a warm place for it to rise. This will take about 20 minutes. You'll know it's ready when it gets slightly larger and the dough slowly springs back when you press it with your finger. It won't double in size!
• Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and place a rack in the middle. Fill up a large saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. Once it boils, reduce the heat to medium low so that the water is at a simmer. Cover the pot with a lid until your ready to boil the bagels.
• Get out 3 baking sheets. Line 2 with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat for baking the bagels and place a wire cooling rack over top of the third. This rack will allow the bagels to drip off excess water after they have been boiled.
• Turn the dough onto a dry surface and divide it evenly into 12 equal pieces, rolling each piece slightly to form a ball. Keep the dough you're not working with covered with a damp towel so that it doesn't get too dry. Pinch the center of each ball of dough to form a hole, gently stretching the hole bigger to form a ring.
• Once you have finished forming all of your bagels you are going to boil them 3-4 at a time. Do this by placing 3-4 bagels into the simmering water and let them cook on each side for about 30 seconds. They will sink to the bottom of the pot at first and slowly begin to rise over the course of the minute. Don't forget to flip them over after 30 seconds! Remove the bagels with a fine-mesh strainer. Place the boiled bagels onto the wire drying rack and press your desire topping onto the top of the bagels while they are still wet. Continue this process until all of the bagels have been boiled and garnished with optional toppings.
• Place the bagels onto the parchment lined baking sheets about 1 inch apart and bake for 15 minutes. Then rotate the pans and continue baking the bagels until they are golden brown on top, about 8-10 more minutes.
• Remove the bagels from the oven and let them cool on a rack for at least 20 minutes so that the inside can finish cooking.
• Store in a zip-lock bag for about a week or slice and freeze!*

EASY HOMEMADE WHOLE WHEAT BAGELS RECIPE

Steps:

• In a small bowl combine the yeast with 1/4 cup of the warm water and 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Stir to combine. Allow to sit for 10 minutes until the yeast mixture becomes foamy (if it does not foam then something is wrong with your yeast).
• In a large bowl combine the white whole wheat flour, yeast mixture, remaining water, remaining sugar, and salt. Knead for 10 minutes by hand or 5 minutes in a stand mixer. If the dough seems too dry, add an additional Tablespoon of water. Place the dough in a large clean and lightly greased mixing bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm place for 2 hours*. The dough should approximately double in size.
• Place the dough on a clean counter space or large cutting board. Divide the dough into 8 equal sized pieced. Roll each piece gently into a ball. Using your index finger, poke a hole in the middle of each ball. Gently pick up the dough and swirl it around your index finger a few times to make the hole a bit larger. Repeat with all of the balls of dough. Allow to rest for 15 minutes.
• Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper (to prevent any possible sticking). While the dough is resting, bring a large pot of water to a low boil. Add 1 Tablespoon of sugar to the water. Drop half of the bagels into the pot. If they sink, allow them to float to the top (you may need to use a spoon to push them to the top). Once floating, boil the bagels for 1 minute and then flip and boil for an additional minute on the other side. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bagels. Place them on the baking sheet. Repeat until all bagels have been boiled.
• If you are using toppings for your bagels, liberally coat the tops of each bagel with the egg wash. Sprinkle the toppings onto the bagels. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake for an additional 10 minutes. The bagels should be golden brown on top. Allow to bake a few additional minutes longer for crispier bagels.

PETER REINHART'S WHOLE WHEAT BAGELS

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle or in a large bowl combine flour, salt and yeast. Stir together or mix at low speed for about 30 seconds. In a small bowl or measuring cup combine lukewarm water and 1 tablespoon barley malt, honey or agave syrup and whisk together.
• Add liquid mixture to flour mixture and mix on low speed or stir for 1 minute. Mixture will be shaggy and sticky. Remove paddle and let dough stand, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Switch to dough hook or turn dough onto lightly oiled work surface and mix on low speed or knead for 2 minutes, until smooth and slightly tacky. Add more flour if necessary (a few tablespoons) if dough is very sticky or wet, and mix or knead for another minute. Finished dough should be firm but supple and smooth to the touch. If it is tacky wait 5 minutes, then add a little more flour as necessary and beat or knead until incorporated.
• Shape dough into a ball. Clean and oil bowl. Place dough in bowl rounded side down first (to oil the dough), then rounded side up. Cover bowl tightly with plastic and allow dough to proof at room temperature for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until it has swelled and increased in size by about 1 1/2 times.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment and lightly oil parchment. Turn out the dough and divide into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball by placing on an unfloured work surface under a cupped hand and rolling it around and around. Lightly oil work surface if dough sticks. To shape bagels, using both hands roll each ball into an 8-inch long rope, tapering from the middle of the dough to the ends. Moisten the last inch of each end, place one end on the palm of your hand and wrap the rope around your hand, bringing the other end between your thumb and forefinger. Overlap the ends by about 2 inches and stick the ends together. Press onto the work surface and roll back and forth to seal, then lay the ring down and even out the thickness with your fingers. The hole should be about 2 inches in diameter. Place on the prepared baking sheets. (Another way to shape the bagels is to press your thumbs through the center of the balls, then gradually pull apart and shape the bagel with your hands by rotating the dough around your thumbs, until the hole is 2 inches in diameter; I find that, although this method is a bit quicker, the bagels tend to close up, so I prefer the rope method). Place on prepared baking sheet(s), at least 1 inch apart. Lightly oil tops and cover loosely with plastic wrap.
• Allow bagels to proof for 30 to 60 minutes, until just beginning to swell and rise. Meanwhile, heat oven to 425 degrees with a rack positioned in the middle.
• Carefully remove parchment paper with bagels from baking sheet and replace parchment with clean sheets. Lightly oil parchment and sprinkle with cornmeal or semolina (if you have lots of baking sheets, just line two more baking sheets). To see if bagels are ready, drop one into a bowl of water. It should float to the surface within 15 seconds. If it does not, wait 20 minutes and do another float test.
• Bring 4 to 6 inches water to a boil in a large saucepan and add baking soda, malt syrup or honey. Adjust heat so water is at a gentle boil. Two at a time, drop bagels into water. After 30 seconds flip over and simmer for another 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon or a skimmer, remove from water and place on prepared baking sheet, rounded side up. Sprinkle topping over bagel right away. Place in oven and bake 12 minutes. Rotate baking sheet and bake another 8 to 12 minutes, until golden brown. If bottoms are getting too brown slide a second baking pan underneath the first one for insulation after first 12 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

HOW TO MAKE BAGELS

Steps:

• FOR THE DOUGH:• 2¼ cups/530 milliliters lukewarm water (105 to 110 degrees) • 2 tablespoons barley malt syrup, (available in health food stores and some well-stocked supermarkets; an equal volume of molasses is a passable substitute, but won't impart the traditional malty flavor) • 1 (¼-ounce) packet active dry yeast (about 2¼ teaspoons) • 6½ cups/885 grams bread flour (or use 6 cups bread flour and ½ cup whole-wheat flour), plus more for kneading Tip: For the crustiest, chewiest bagels, use bread flour. However, you can still achieve good results with all-purpose flour. Just try to use a brand with a relatively high protein content. Swapping in ½ cup of whole-wheat flour for ½ cup of the bread flour will make the bagels slightly less chewy but will also give them a boost of flavor. • 2 tablespoons/17 grams Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 1 tablespoon/17 grams Morton kosher saltTip: When measured by volume, Morton salt packs more densely than Diamond, making it about twice as salty. For consistent measurements across brands, either weigh it with a scale, or use half the volume of Morton. • Neutral oil, for greasing the baking sheetsFOR ASSEMBLY: • 1 teaspoon baking soda • ¼ cup/60 milliliters barley malt syrup, plus more as needed • 2 ounces/30 grams each sesame seeds, poppy seeds, caraway seeds, dried minced garlic, dried minced onion and/or flaky salt (optional)Scale (optional but recommended), a small bowl, a large mixing bowl, flexible spatula or wooden spoon, bench scraper, two large rimmed baking sheets, parchment paper, plastic wrap, a spider or slotted spoon, tea towel, a large Dutch oven, several separate large plates (if topping bagels), wire rack and a serrated knife.
• 1. Pour ½ cup/120 milliliters lukewarm water into a small bowl. Whisk in 2 tablespoons barley malt syrup and the packet of yeast until both dissolve. Let sit until the mixture foams, about 5 minutes. 2. In a large bowl, combine bread flour and salt (and whole-wheat flour, if using), and make a well in the center. Pour in yeast mixture and the remaining 1¾ cups/420 milliliters lukewarm water, and mix, using the flexible spatula or wooden spoon, until the dough is shaggy. 3. Knead the mixture in the bowl several times, continuously folding it over and onto itself and pressing down firmly to bring it together in a solid mass, then turn it out onto a clean work surface. Continue kneading until there are no dry spots, then, adding more flour only if needed to prevent stubborn sticking, until you have a stiff but very smooth dough that is still slightly tacky, 15 to 20 minutes. Tip: This amount of kneading, necessary to develop the gluten for a chewy bagel, is best done by hand, since the motor of the average stand mixer would strain against the very stiff dough. 4. Gather the dough into a ball, dust it lightly with flour, and place it in a large, clean bowl, seam-side down. Cover with a damp towel and let the dough rise at room temperature until it has doubled in size, 1½ to 2 hours.
• 5. Using your fist, lightly punch down the dough to knock out some of the air, and turn it out onto a clean work surface. Using a bench scraper, cut the dough into 12 equal pieces, either eyeballing it or using a scale to weigh out 4⅓-ounce/125-gram pieces. If you prefer a slightly smaller bagel, which is more traditional, you could make a baker's dozen (13) and weigh out 4-ounce portions. Why? This will help all your bagels rise more evenly in the oven and look better overall. 6. Before you form the bagels, preshape the pieces into tight balls. Working one ball at a time, gather all the irregular edges and pinch them together firmly to make a teardrop shape (above). Place the dough seam-side down on the surface and cup your hand down and over top of the dough in a loose grip (like a claw, or like you're playing the piano). Move your hand in a rapid circular motion, dragging the dough across the surface until it has a high, tight dome. Repeat with all the pieces, then cover them with the damp towel and let rest for 5 minutes.
• 7. Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper, brush lightly with oil, and set aside. Working one piece at a time, roll out a ball on the surface beneath your palms into a 9-inch-long rope. Apply extra pressure at the ends of the rope to thin them slightly, then wrap the rope around one hand where your palm and fingers meet, overlapping the ends by an inch or two along the inside of your hand (above). Tip: Don't add flour to your work surface. The friction with the surface will help stretch the dough.8. Roll the dough under your hand back and forth several times to seal together the ends, then slip the ring of dough off your hand and stretch it to even out the thickness all the way around until you have a ring that measures about 4 inches across (above). As you form each ring, place it on a parchment-lined sheet, arranging six to a sheet and spacing evenly. Tip: You can also poke a thumb through the ball of dough to make the hole and then widen and stretch with your hands into a ring, but the wrapping and rolling method tends to give more of a classic bagel look. 9. When you've formed all the bagels, cover each baking sheet with a piece of plastic, followed by a damp towel to create a sealed, moist environment for the bagels to proof slowly. Transfer the baking sheets to the refrigerator and chill at least 4 hours and up to 24.
• 10. About 2 hours before you'd like to serve the bagels, arrange an oven rack in the center position and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Fill a large, wide Dutch oven halfway with water and place it on the stove. (Heat should be off at this point.) Set a wire rack next to the Dutch oven. If topping the bagels, spread several tablespoons each of sesame seeds, poppy seeds, caraway seeds, dried minced garlic, dried minced onion and flaky salt on separate large plates in generous, even layers. Set the plates of toppings next to the wire rack. Tip: Mix together all the toppings to make an "everything" blend. 11. Remove one baking sheet from the refrigerator. Fill a small bowl with room temperature water, then carefully peel one ring of dough off the parchment paper and transfer it to the bowl. It should float, indicating that the bagels are ready to boil and bake. Remove the ring from the water, pat it dry on a towel and place back on the baking sheet. Remove the other baking sheet from the refrigerator. Tip: The dough sank? That's OK! Let both sheets sit at room temperature, covered, to finish rising, and test if the dough floats every 10 minutes after the first 30 minutes or so. 12. Set the Dutch oven over high heat and bring to a boil. Whisk in the baking soda and ¼ cup barley malt syrup. You want the water to look like strong black tea, so add more barley malt syrup by the tablespoon until it does. Bring everything back to a boil, reduce the heat if necessary to maintain a gentle boil, and skim any foam from the surface. Uncover one baking sheet and carefully transfer as many bagels as will comfortably fit in one layer to the Dutch oven, leaving some room for them to bob around. Boil for 1 minute, turning halfway through. Tip: If the ¼ cup barley malt syrup made the liquid very dark, more like black coffee, add a little water to dilute. 13. Use a spider or slotted spoon to transfer the bagels to the wire rack and repeat with the remaining bagels on the first sheet. The bagels will swell in the water, then deflate when removed, but they will puff up again in the oven. Discard the piece of parchment that was underneath the bagels but reserve the baking sheet.
• 14. Add the optional topping: Working with one at a time, place a boiled bagel on one of the plates with the toppings and turn to coat so the topping adheres to the wet surface of the dough on both sides. Place the coated bagels on the empty baking sheet, flat-side down, and repeat with the remaining boiled bagels, spacing evenly. 15. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake until the bagels are deeply brown, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the baking sheet 180 degrees after 12 minutes. 16. While the first sheet of bagels is in the oven, repeat the boiling and coating process with the second sheet, adding more toppings to the plates as needed. Transfer the second sheet to the oven when the first is finished. Let the bagels cool completely on a wire rack before slicing with a serrated knife. Tip: Bagels are best eaten the day they're baked, but they also freeze well. Place the bagels in a resealable plastic freezer bag and freeze up to one month.