Instagram is a wonderful thing for inspiration for making connections with like-minded people. It can also be an awful thing that will eat up all your time with no notice to that conscious mind of yours. The engaging scrolls are perpetual time-consuming monsters. One has to be wilful, to not overindulge, just like a tempting delicious dessert kept on the table. I have given myself a time slot for Insta scrolls. How about you? How much time do you spend on apps like these?
At the same time, I have been making so many connections on Instagram. Receiving many compliments for the content I have been making and many queries about home baking.
This bagel recipe was asked many times. I guess we have been missing our international travels. A bagel sandwich with cream cheese, basil pesto, fresh greens, sliced vibrant juice tomatoes is one of my favorites when we travel. I finally had it after 2 years. It was an absolute blessing with a cup of Dalgona coffee at home.
I have this bagel recipe for you which can be done at home. You will not need a kneading machine to make these. The video attached to the blog will be of help to follow through with each step.
This recipe can have a place in the category of easy recipes, but I won’t recommend it for you if you are a newbie in the kitchen. It is the experience with food, with the dough-making techniques that make it easy. Kneading the bagel dough with a hand can be vexing for a newbie.
But if you have a dough making stand mixer, and you are new you will be able to pull it.
The above paragraph has a discouraging echo for kitchen amateurs. This is not what I intend to do, I would want you to start with courage and you will achieve. Doing bread dough with the hand is technical but can be done. You don’t need encyclopedic knowledge for doing it at home. Dough kneading is in our blood, we eat Rotis every single day. Every Mom is a wonder-women when it comes to kneading. Just watch her do it a couple of times, and the best would be doing the dough for her. Even if you mess up, she will be able to fix it. So be fearless and go ahead and get your hands in the flour. And you always begin with first, my first dough.
Here are a few pointers that can help you achieve these bagels at home. Even if you are a pro in the kitchen, just go through them once, because it’s baking. These are the nuggets of bagel-making wisdom.
Bagels need yeast, I have used dry yeast which is very easily available. Those tiny granules of yeast are going to have to do a lot of work; without them, bagels won’t happen. Resist the urge to vigorously whisk the yeast and let it sit on the water surface and start its yeasty magic for three minutes before moving on to the next step. Here is an article on yeast, which will give you all the information about it.
All About Yeast
If you want to know more details about gluten formation here is an article with detailed information.
The bagel dough is going to be pulled and stretched and rolled and boiled — it needs lots of gluten for elasticity. With kneading, we try to develop gluten. Gluten development is necessary for all kinds of bread. Either you do this using a machine or use your hands to develop gluten. It acts as a binder, adds texture, volume, stretchiness to the dough, so it holds the airy pockets.
Gluten and Bread Baking
As you knead the dough it will gradually change from a shaggy lumpy mass to a smooth elastic ball, which will have the strength to hold the shape. It will take almost 20 minutes of kneading (if doing with hands) to achieve that texture.
Tip: you can let the dough rest for 3-4 minutes, after every 5 minutes of kneading. This helps.
Tip: I like to slightly wet my hands when kneading the dough, as shown in the video. It helps in keeping the dough moist and the bagels turn out nice and soft.
Avoid all the temptations of adding the extra dry flour when kneading.
Once the dough is kneaded we will keep it and will wait for it to rise. Be patient with this step. Wait till it is double in size.
There’s no need to fret about the warmth or coolness of your kitchen. Nor do you need a special, warmed proofing box to accelerate the rise of your dough. It will happen in your kitchen, just make sure to cover the dough ball.
Follow the steps of dividing the dough into 8 equal parts, as shown in the video. Shape them into balls. Make sure to have a smooth top and a sealed bottom. It is important to let the dough balls rest for a few minutes. It will relax the dough.
Shaping: just dust your finger with some flour and poke a hole in the middle of the dough. Be gentle, your finger will slide in as you make tiny moves of stretching and taking place in the middle for your finger. Then stretch and expand the hole using two fingers, as shown in the video.
At this point, we need to keep the shaped bagels covered for the next 30 minutes. Wait till they are double in size. Make sure to cover them. Make sure you have parchment paper underneath them, on a baking tray. Keep space between them, because they will rise and will occupy more space.
Water bath: The boiling before the baking step is crucial to get that firm, crisp crust and a chewy interior. When boiling the bagels the starches in the flour of the dough gelatinize. This process stiffens the starches and thus the bagel, starting from the outside. By cooking the starch on the forehand it won’t lose as much moisture anymore in the oven.
Bagels must cook for 45 seconds on each side in a pot of boiling water. As shown in the video.
Using a brush, treat your boiled bagels to a luxurious egg wash to ensure that shiny crust. If you are not a egg user, just brush them with some milk.
Bagel seasoning: The beautiful thing about making your own bagels is the freedom to add whichever toppings you want. My personal favorite seasoning includes poppy seeds, toasted sesame seeds (black and white), dried garlic, and salt.
Homemade Bagel Recipe
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- OTG Oven
- Baking tray
Ingredients
- 1/4th cup warm water
- A pinch of sugar
- 1 and 1/4th tsp dry yeast https://amzn.to/3v0ARIO
- 2 cups flour (maida)
- 180 ml water to kenad
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black sesame seeds https://amzn.to/3oFaOEH
- 1 tsp white sesame seeds https://amzn.to/344wArO
- 1 tsp poppy seeds https://amzn.to/3oAo7Xa
- 1 tsp dry garlic https://amzn.to/3oApB3G
- 1 tsp salt flakes https://amzn.to/3f52bQQ
- 1 tsp baking soda https://amzn.to/3ow4jEf
- 1 tbsp honey https://amzn.to/3oyLiRl
Instructions
- In 1/4th cup of the warm water, sprinkle some sugar and yeast. Give this gentle stir. Let it sit for five-seven minutes.
- Add the flour, sugar, and salt to a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in the yeast and sugar mixture. Gradually pour the water into the well. Mix and stir using a fork. Depending on where you live, you may need to add an additional couple tablespoons of water. You want a moist and firm dough after you have mixed it.
- On a clean kitchen countertop, knead the dough for about 15 – 20 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Wet your hand in-between the kneading time. See the video for reference. Lightly brush a large bowl with oil and turn the dough to coat. Cover the bowl with a damp dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in size.
- Carefully divide the dough into 8 pieces. Use a bench scraper to do this step. Shape each piece into a round. Now, take a dough ball, and press it gently against the countertop (or whatever work surface you’re using) moving your hand and the ball in a circular motion pulling the dough into itself while reducing the pressure on top of the dough slightly until a perfect dough ball forms. Repeat with 7 other dough rounds.
- Coat a finger in flour, and gently press your finger into the center of each dough ball to form a ring. Stretch the ring to about ⅓ the diameter of the bagel and place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Repeat the same step with the remaining dough. After shaping the bagels, cover with a damp kitchen towel and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in the honey and baking soda. Reduce the heat. boil bagels one by one, in this water bath. Use a slotted spoon https://amzn.to/3oy0Jcu or skimmer to lower the bagels into the water if needed. Boil 45 seconds on each side. Transfer the boiled bagels to the same baking tray.
- Give the bagels an egg wash (or milk wash) to get the toppings to stick before baking the bagels. Topping is the bagel seasoning which is made combining sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dry garlic, and salt.
- Once all the bagels have boiled transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet. https://amzn.to/3fz2KkB Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, or until golden brown (I usually err on the side of 20 minutes). Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!
Video
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