Chowhound Bagel Recipe
- 1 1/2 cups tepid water (105 degrees F to 110 degrees F) plus 1 tablespoon for the egg wash
- 1 (1/4-ounce) packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 4 cups bread flour
- 2 tablespoons malt syrup
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 4 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 large egg white
- Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or coarse salt for topping
- Place 1 1/2 cups of the tepid water in a bowl and dissolve the yeast completely; set aside.
- Combine flour, malt syrup, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment.
- Add yeast mixture, scraping any undissolved yeast out of the bowl with a spatula.
- Mix on low until most of the loose flour has been worked into the dough and the dough looks shredded, about 2 minutes.
- Increase the speed to medium low and continue mixing until the dough is stiff, smooth, and elastic, about 8 to 9 minutes more.
- (If the dough gets stuck on the hook or splits into 2 pieces, stop the machine, scrape off the hook, and mash the dough back into the bottom of the bowl.)
- The dough should be dry, not tacky or sticky, and somewhat stiff.
- Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a large oiled bowl, and turn it to coat in oil.
- Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm place, until it is noticeably puffy and springs back when you poke it, about 20 minutes.
- (The dough will not double in size.)
- Meanwhile, heat the oven to 425 degrees F and arrange the rack in the middle.
- Fill a large, wide, shallow pan (about 3 to 6 quarts) with water, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium low and let simmer.
- Cover until youre ready to boil the bagels.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper greased with oil or cooking spray.
- Place a metal rack inside of a second baking sheet and set aside.
- Turn the risen dough out onto a dry surface.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, about 3 ounces each.
- (While you work, keep the dough youre not handling covered with a damp towel to prevent drying.)
- Roll each piece into a 9-inch-long rope, lightly moisten the ends with water, overlap the ends by about 1 inch, and press to join so youve created a bagel.
- As necessary, widen the hole in the middle so it is approximately the size of a quarter.
- Cover the shaped bagels with a damp towel and let rest 10 minutes.
- After resting, stretch the dough to retain the quarter-size hole (the dough will have risen a bit) and boil the bagels 3 or 4 at a time, making sure they have room to bob around.
- Cook for about 30 seconds on each side until the bagels have a shriveled look, then remove to the baking sheet with the rack in it.
- Adjust heat as necessary so the water stays at a simmer.
- Whisk together the remaining 1 tablespoon water and the egg white until evenly combined.
- Brush the egg wash all over the bagels, then sprinkle as desired with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, or coarse salt.
- Arrange the bagels on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 1 inch apart and bake.
- Rotate the pan after 15 minutes and bake until the bagels are a deep caramel color and have formed a crust on the bottom and top, about 10 minutes more.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes so the interiors finish cooking and the crusts form a chewy exterior.
water, yeast, bread flour, malt syrup, kosher salt, sugar, egg white, sesame seeds
Taken from www.chowhound.com/recipes/chow-bagel-11820 (may not work)