King Arthur Flour’s Plain Bagels
This homemade bagel recipe makes chewy, flavorful, and just like your favorite bakery's- all you have to do is add some cream cheese or jam! This simple breakfast bagel recipe is healthy, filling, and an easy way to feed your kids in the morning!
Servings: 12 bagels
Ingredients
For the sponge/starter:
- 1/2 cup bread flour
- 1/4 cup cool water
- pinch of instant yeast about 1/16 teaspoon
For the dough:
- 1 1/4 cups cool water
- 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 4 cups bread flour
For Boiling the Bagels:
- 5 cups water
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
Instructions
- To make the starter, mix all of the ingredient together in a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow it to sit at room temperature overnight (12 to 24 hours)
- To make the dough, add all of the starter, after it's overnight rest, the water, salt, yeast, and half of the bread flour called for. Using the dough hook of your stand mixer, mix these ingredient for 5 minutes.
- Continue adding the rest of the bread flour, ¼ cup at a time, until the dough starts to come together. The dough should still stick to the bottom of the bowl but it will pull away from the sides.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is lightly tacky. Form into a ball. Let the dough rise in a lightly greased bowl for one hour.
- Gently deflate the dough and let it rise for another half hour.
- When the dough has risen a second time, remove it from the bowl and cut it into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a round ball. Cover the balls with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
- While the dough is rising, prep the water for boiling. Mix the water and brown sugar in a large pot. The water needs to be at least one inch deep.
- Heat the water in the pan over medium heat until it starts to gently boil and the baking soda dissolves. Reduce the heat so that the water stays at a very gentle boil. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment or a baking mat.
- Take one piece of dough and poke your finger through the center. Using your finger gently stretch the hole in the center until it is about a 2 inch circle. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Gently drop 2 or 3 bagels in the boiling water and let them boil on the first side for 2 minutes and then flip them over in the water and let them cook on the second side for 1 more minute. Remove from the water with a strainer or the end of a wooden spoon and place the bagels on the parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat the boiling with the remaining bagels.
- While the bagels are still wet you can sprinkle them with everything bagel seasoning if you like.
- Bake the boiled bagels in the hot oven for 25 minutes or until they are a deep brown.
- Let the bagels cool on a wire rack before enjoying.
Notes
- To make cinnamon raisin bagels - When you divided the dough into 12 balls, roll each ball into a long thin rectangle, about 8 inches by 3 inches. Sprinkle the rectangle with sugar, cinnamon, and a few raisins. Roll the rectangle up so that it's a long log and then connect the ends to make circle. You've made your bagel! Now let them rest for 30 minutes before boiling.
- I like to do part of the bagel batch plain, part cinnamon raisin, and part with everything bagel seasoning so that one batch has a lot of variety.
- Make sure you knead the dough enough. Bagels really need the chewiness and texture!
- You can double this recipe if you're going to be feeding a crowd.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 of 12 bagels | Calories: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 620mg | Potassium: 63mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 0.004mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 0.5mg
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