Plain Bagels Recipes

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.

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients to make a smooth elastic dough.
• Let rise until double. Punch down.
• Divide dough into four parts. Divide each part into three pieces.
• Make a 1-2 inch hole in center of each piece.
• Pull gently all the way around to form circles.
• Heat 2 qts water and 2 TBSP sugar to boiling.
• Place a few bagels at a time in boiling water.
• Simmer 3 minutes, turning once.
• Remove with slotted spoon.
• Place on greased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
• Remove from cookie sheet and cool.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add the butter, sugar, salt and egg yolk; mix well. Stir in enough flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Punch dough down. Shape into 12 balls. Push thumb through centers to form a 1-1/2-in. hole. Stretch and shape dough to form an even ring. Place on a floured surface. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes; flatten bagels slightly. , Fill a Dutch oven two-thirds full with water; bring to a boil. Drop bagels, 2 at a time, into boiling water. Cook for 45 seconds; turn and cook 45 seconds longer. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain well on paper towels. , Sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds if desired. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 400° until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

Steps:

• Combine the warm water and yeast in a medium bowl and stir until the yeast is dissolved. Be sure the water is not too hot, or it may kill the yeast. Add the corn syrup, molasses, and oil to the bowl and stir thoroughly. Add the salt. Pour the 2 cups of bread flour into the bowl and incorporate it with the other ingredients. Sprinkle a little of the reserved flour over the dough in the bowl and turn it out onto a surface that has been dusted with more of the reserve flour (depending on your climate you may not have to use all of the reserve flour, but you will surely use most of it). The dough should become very smooth and elastic, dry to the touch, and not tacky. You will have to knead for 6 to 7 minutes to get the right consistency. Put the dough back into the bowl or another container, cover, and let it rise in a warm place for 30 to 40 minutes. The dough should double in size. Punch down the dough and cut it into 4 even portions. Working with one portion of the dough at a time, form the dough into a ball. Turn the edge of the dough inward with your fingers while punching a hole in the center with your thumbs. Work the dough in a circle while stretching it out and enlarging the center hole so that it looks like a doughnut. The hole should be between 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place the 4 portions of shaped dough onto a greased board or baking sheet, cover (a clean towel works well), and allow the dough to rise for 20 to 30 minutes. The dough should nearly double in size. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Fill a medium saucepan 2/3 full of water and bring it to a boil. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar to the water. Working with one bagel at a time, first enlarge the hole if it has closed up to less than 3/4 of an inch. Be careful not to overwork the dough at this point or it won't have the proper consistency. Drop the bagel into the water, cover the saucepan, and boil for 20 seconds. Flip the bagel over, and boil for another 20 seconds. Immediately take the bagel out of the water with a slotted spoon, let the water drip off for about 10 seconds, then place the bagel onto a baking sheet that has been dusted with cornmeal. Repeat for the remaining bagels. Be sure the bagels do not touch each other. Bake the bagels for 26 to 30 minutes, or until they are light brown. This recipe yields 4 bagels.

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together 2 2/3 cups water, yeast, and 1 1/2 tablespoons honey. Let stand for 5 minutes.
• Add malt, oil, flour, and salt and mix with the dough hook attachment at low speed for about 10 minutes, or until dough can "pull a window." To test, pinch off a small ball of dough and pull into a thin, see-through membrane without it tearing. If it tears, mix another minute or two.
• Lightly oil a baking sheet. Portion dough into 5 1/2 ounce balls and place on the sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
• Pull out dough to warm up for 30 minutes. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 460°F. In a large wide pot, bring 4 quarts of water and 1/4 cup honey to a boil.
• On a clean countertop, roll each ball into 9-inch long strands. Take strand by the ends and overlap together to form an "O". Pinch together seams to join. Let bagels rest for 5 minutes.
• Reduce boiling water to a simmer. Working 3 or 4 at a time, drop bagels into boiling honey water for about 2 minutes per side. Lift out with a slotted spoon and sprinkle with toppings, if desired. Place 6 on each baking sheet and bake one sheet at a time in center of the oven until slightly browned, shiny and firm, about 10 to 12 minutes, turning after 6 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack to cool.

Steps:

• In a large bowl thoroughly mix 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt and undissolved yeast.
• Gradually add warm water to dry ingredients and beat for 2 minutes with electric mixer (at medium speed), scrape bowl occasionally.
• Add 1/2 cup flour.
• Beat at high speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl.
• Stir in enough additional flour to make a soft dough (about 2 to 2 1/2 cups).
• Turn dough on to a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes).
• Place dough in ungreased bowl, cover and let rise in warm, draft free place for 20 minutes.
• (Dough will NOT be doubled in bulk.) Punch dough down and turn out on to a lightly floured board.
• Roll dough into a rectangle, 12 x 10 inches.
• Cut dough into 12 equal strips, 1 x 10 inches each.
• Pinch ends of strips together to form a circle.
• Place on ungreased baking sheets.
• Cover and let rise in warm, draft free place for 20 minutes.
• (Dough will NOT be doubled in bulk.) In a large shallow pan, boil a 1 3/4 inch depth of water.
• Lower heat and add a few bagels at a time.
• Simmer bagels for 7 minutes (3 1/2 minutes on each side).
• Remove bagels from water and place on a towel to cool.
• Cool bagels for 5 minutes, then place them on ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake bagels at 375°F for 10 minutes.
• In a small bowl, beat egg white with cold water.
• Remove bagels from oven and brush with egg white/water mixture.
• Return bagels to oven and bake about 20 minutes longer, or until done.
• Remove bagels from baking sheets and cool on wire rack.