I love bagels but never thought about trying to make them at home. One morning during quarantine I woke up with a craving and motivation to finally try to make them and I am so glad I did! I have since made 2 more batches have really enjoyed both the process and the resulting bagels. The bulk of the time required for this recipe is waiting for the dough to rise so don’t be too intimidated by the time required!

This recipe does call for a stand mixer. You could kneed the dough by hand for an extra few minutes for a similar result.

Feel free to add any toppings you like! I always gravitate to everything bagels but I’ve also topped them with shredded cheddar and graded parmesan and both were fantastic.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time Required: 3 hours

Yields: 8 bagels

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 4 cups bread flour
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 egg
• Choice of toppings: Everything bagel seasoning, shredded cheese

Directions

1. Activate the yeast: In the bowl of a standing mixer, add yeast to warm water, cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Then stir until dissolved
2. Prepare the dough: Add flour, brown sugar and salt to the bowl with the yeast and beat in a stand mixer for 2 minutes
3. Kneed the dough: Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and with floured hands, kneed dough for 5 minutes
4. Let the dough rise: Place the dough in a large greased bowl and turn the dough to coat on all sides. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for 60-90 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size
5. Preheat oven to 425
6. Shape the bagels: Divide the dough into 8 pieces, roll each piece into a ball and use your thumb to create a hole in the center and stretch out evenly until you have a ring
7. Boil the bagels: Fill a wide pot with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and place bagels in the water (I do 4 at a time). Boil on each side for 2 minutes and then place on a greased cookie sheet
8. Add the toppings: Whisk egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush the egg wash on each bagel. Sprinkle on toppings
9. And finally, bake: Bake for 20 minutes or until the bagels are golden brown

I added egg, cheese and spinach to mine to make a breakfast sandwich!