Quick Homemade Bagels - White Blank Space (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to making bagels? ›

These bagels have been overproofed; as a result, they're flat and are missing their signature hole in the middle. In all honesty, flat bagels are the most common issue you can encounter when making them from scratch.

Bagels begin to go stale within just 6 to 12 hours. "The softness of a fresh bagel is only temporary until the moisture begins to separate from the starch, leaving behind a ridged, crystallized structure," says Warren Wilson, founder of Bagelista.

Bread flour – Because of its high protein content, bread flour makes these homemade bagels delightfully chewy. This recipe also works with all-purpose flour, they're just a bit less chewy than bagels made with bread flour.

If you want a thinner crust and airier texture in your bagels, shorten the boiling time slightly (around 45 seconds, instead of the 60 seconds called for in the recipe).

Despite getting some nice blistering, overworked doughs don't retain gas well and resist expansion, leading to a dense ring with a tight crumb.

Overproofed is when the dough has rested too long and the yeast has continued making carbon dioxide while the strength of the dough (gluten bonds) have begun to wear out. The dough will look very puffy, but when you touch it or move it you may notice it deflate or sag.

Bake the bagels.

Bake the bagels for 12 minutes. Flip the bagels so that they are bottom-side up (this helps them maintain their shape). Bake until they are deep golden-brown, 8 to 12 minutes more.

If your dough is too tacky, lightly dust the counter with the baking mix or flour. Gently roll and lightly knead the dough, adding more mix or flour as needed. You'll know it's ready when it's soft and slightly sticky, but no longer tacky. It's okay to let it sit another 5 minutes before cutting into wedges.

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.

What makes New York style bagels different? ›

A New York–style bagel is always boiled in water that has had barley malt added, which gives a bagel its signature taste, texture, and leathery skin.

Now unlike most bread, bagels are unique because they are boiled before baked in the oven! Add honey and baking soda to the boiling water in a large pot. This will help give the bagels a nice sheen and golden brown color when out of the oven.

Is it cheaper to make your own bagels? Yes! It is so much cheaper to make your own breads at home, especially bagels! The ingredients (flour, water, yeast, sugar, honey, and eggs) are pretty cheap to buy compared to the price of premade bagels.

Opinions on what make for an “ideal” bagel vary of course, but to my mind the best ones have a plump, rounded exterior and a fine crumb structure, with a balanced chewy-yet-tender texture.

The Key to a Real New York Bagel

New York bagels get boiled prior to baking, defining their special texture in a solution of water and barley malt.

If you want a thinner crust and airier texture in your bagels, shorten the boiling time slightly (around 45 seconds, instead of the 60 seconds called for in the recipe). The shorter boil means the crust has less opportunity to preset, which allows more rising, and thus a “fluffier” bagel.

Add honey and baking soda to boiling water in a large pot. This will help give the bagels a nice sheen and golden brown color when out of the oven. Add a few bagels at a time to the pot, making sure they're not crowded. They should float immediately when added to the water.