A while back I asked on one of my Instagram posts if anyone had baking requests. My father requested bagels, so here we are!
I love bagels so I really don’t mind. Give me a good bagel with cream cheese, salt, pepper and salmon or tomato and oh am I satisfied. It’s amazing as a breakfast or lunch!
They seem tricky from the outside, because
1. no one makes them.
2. you boil them.
But let me tell you right now, boiling them is not scary! This recipe is pretty much just waiting.
You combine the ingredients, you knead, you wait. You make the bagel shapes, you boil, you wait. And then you have delicious bagels. It’s worth trying!
I know I’m (nearly) never buying bagels again because these are tasty and easy. I think it’s a great quick weekend activity for the family.
Let me know if you try them out!
Ingredients:
1 1/ 3 cup water
2 tbsp honey
1 packet yeast
1 tbsp milk (2% or higher)
4 cups flour
pinch salt
cornmeal
water
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 egg
Method:
1. Combine 1 1/ 3 cup water, honey, yeast and milk in a small container, such as a measuring jug. Set aside about eight to ten minutes.
2. Put your flour and salt into a medium/large bowl and combine. Then add the yeast mixture and combine with the flour until the dough stays together.
3. Take dough out of the bowl and, on a lightly floured surface, knead for about ten minutes or until smooth. (You can also do this with a stand mixer using a hook attachment.)
4. Lightly oil the inside of your medium/large bowl and put dough back in to rest for one hour, covered with a damp cloth.
5. Punch the dough down a little and divide into eight even pieces. Roll pieces into balls.
6. Poke holes in the center of dough balls using your index finger and thumb, pressing one in on each side to meet in the middle. Stretch the holes until about an inch in diameter and place on a floured surface, covered, until ready to cook.
7. Prepare a large sheet pan, or two medium ones, by lightly greasing and sprinkling with cornmeal. You don’t need to cover the entire pan with cornmeal but, make sure there is a pretty even, thin layer.
8. Preheat oven to 425 Fahrenheit.
9. Fill a large pot halfway with water, add brown sugar and bring to the boil.
10. Put up to two bagels in the boiling water and cook on 1 1/ 2 minutes on each side. Continue doing this until each bagel is boiled.
11. Drain fairly well, and place on your prepared sheet pans, space at least 1 1/ 2 inches apart.
12. In a cup, beat your egg and add a splash of water to create an egg wash. Cover each bagel with the wash and bake for 18-20 minutes.
Enjoy!