The Best Homemade Soft and Chewy Bagels (Boiled or Steamed)

The Best Yogurt Whey Bagels (from leftover yogurt whey)

The Best Homemade Soft and Chewy Bagels (Boiled or Steamed)

Course: Bread, Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 14

Proof the dough: 1 15

Total Time: 1 59

Servings: large bagels

Calories: 321kcal

Author: Marvellina

If you are looking for really good homemade bagels recipe that is soft and chewy, you gotta try this recipe out. They can be boiled or steamed before baking the bagels.

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US Customary - Metric

Equipment

Ingredients

500 g bread flour plus more as needed
40 g sugar
9 g instant yeast
300 g water or liquid whey. Add more as needed. See notes
6 g fine sea salt
30 g cooking oil

For boiling bagels (option 1):

2 litre water
60 g honey or barley malt syrup

For boiling bagels (option 2):

2 litre water
20 g non-diastatic malt powder
15 g sugar

Egg wash: (optional- the topping sticks better)

1 egg beaten

Ideas for toppings:

White sesame seeds
Black sesame seeds
poppy seeds
coarse salt

Instructions

Make the dough:

Place all ingredients in a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with dough-hook attachment. Knead the dough at low speed for 8 minutes. You may need to stop and reposition the dough several times.
Knead until the dough is smooth and stretchy. Add more liquid if it's too dry or add more flour if it's too wet. Bagels dough are usually at a stiffer side compared to regular bread dough, but shouldn't feel dry

Do a windowpane test:

Pinch off a small amount of dough and then slightly flatten and very gently try to stretch the dough. If it's stretched and light can go through the stretch, the dough is done kneading. If the dough tears when you stretch, you need to knead the dough a bit more in the mixer. A well-developed gluten will also produced chewier bagels

Proof the dough:

Lightly oil the bowl. Cover with a plastic wrap coated with cooking spray and let it proof at a warm place until it doubles in size, about 1 hour or longer depending on the temperature.
Once the dough is done proofing, preheat oven to 425 F (220 C) for conventional oven, 400 F (200 C) for convection oven

Two ways to shape the bagel:

Method 1: Punch the dough down and divide into 8 equal pieces (roughly about 4 oz each).
Pat the dough out into a 1/4-inch thick rectangle and starting from the long end, roll up into a tight log and then roll back and forth to lengthen the dough into about 14 inches long
Hold 1 end of the log in your palm and then loop the other end around your hand, overlapping by about 2 inches.
Press and roll onto the work surface to seal. This is important or your bagel will "unroll" when you boil them later.
Reposition the bagel so the seams side is on the bottom of the dough is evenly distributed in a circle. Repeat with the remaining dough
Method 2 (lazy method-I prefer this method): Punch the dough down and divide into 8 equal pieces (roughly about 4 oz each). Pat the dough with your palm and then pull the edge towards center to form a dough ball. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
Use a chopstick or your thumb to punch through the middle of the dough to make a hole and gently stretch it to resemble a bagel. Repeat with the remaining dough balls

Rest the bagels:

Lined a large baking pan with a parchment paper. Lightly oiled the surface and place the shaped bagels on top and let them rest for 15-20 minutes at a warm place while you prepare the water bath or the steamer

Option 1: Boil the bagels:

Bring about 2 quarts of water to a boil in a shallow pot, at least about 1 1/2-inch deep. Add honey for option 1 or non-diastatic malt powder and sugar if doing option 2. This helps to brown the bagels nicely when you bake them.
I lightly oiled my fingers and then gently pick up the bagel and lower it to the boiling water. Boil 2-3 bagels at a time (they expand) for about 60 seconds on each side. If you like the bagels really chewy, boil for 2 minutes on each side.
Remove the bagels with a slotted spoon and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, seam sides down.
Sprinkle the wet bagels with desired toppings immediately so they stick to the bagels. If you wish to do the egg wash, follow the instruction on how to do the egg wash below

Option 2 : Steam the bagels

Bring the water in a steamer to a boil over high heat. Wrap the lid with a cloth to prevent water condensation dripping back to the bagels creating “burn” spots. Line the steamer with a parchment paper or silicone mat. Lower the heat to medium and steam for about 2 minutes. Remove the bagels from the steamer and place it back on a baking sheet. If you want to add toppings, proceed to the egg wash step, otherwise, proceed to baking step

If you choose to do egg wash:

Brush the bagel with egg wash and then sprinkle with toppings. I prefer this method now because the toppings do not come off after baking

Baking:

Baked in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown

Cooling:

Remove from the oven and let them cool on a cooling rack

Video

Notes

Depending on humidity and the flour you use, you may need to add more liquid, but start with the amount stated on the recipe.

Recipe is adapted from allrecipes with some modifications

Nutrition