rainy day bagels
Gracie Ermi
Rainy Day Bagels
Prep time: 20 MinInactive time: 1 H & 30 MTotal time: 1 H & 50 M
I've never had much confidence in the kitchen, but baking has always felt a little more comfortable for me than cooking. My apartment came with a larger-than-average, wall-mounted stand mixer, and since moving in this stand mixer has been a real source of inspiration to dive a little deeper into the world of baking. As I've been trying new recipes, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that bagels aren't as intimidating as I thought they would be! They take some patience, but there is nothing quite as satisfying and delicious as a warm bagel that you baked yourself. I felt so proud when I made my first batch of bagels, so if you make them, I hope that you will also take a moment to feel proud of yourself. We are all working hard and doing the best we can, and it's important to take a moment to recognize that every once in a while.
Ingredients
Protocol
- Whisk the warm water and yeast together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
- Add the flour, brown sugar, and salt. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. The dough is very stiff and will look somewhat dry.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With lightly floured hands, knead the dough for 4-5 minutes. The dough is too heavy for the mixer to knead it!
- Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 60-90 minutes or until double in size.
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats
- Shape the bagels: When the dough is ready, punch it down to release any air bubbles. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. (Just eyeball it– doesn’t need to be perfect!) Shape each piece into a ball. Press your index finger through the center of each ball to make a hole about 1.5 – 2 inches in diameter. Loosely cover the shaped bagels with kitchen towel and rest for a few minutes as you prepare the water bath.
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).
- Water bath: Fill a large, wide pot with 2 quarts of water. Whisk in the honey. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-high. Drop bagels in, 2-4 at a time, making sure they have enough room to float around. Cook the bagels for 1 minute on each side.
- Using a pastry brush (or just a spoon/fork/get creative if you are like me and you don't have a pastry brush...), brush the egg wash on top and around the sides of each bagel.
- Place 4 bagels onto each lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. You want the bagels to be a dark golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow bagels to cool on the baking sheets for 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Slice, toast, top, whatever you want! My favorite schmear is cream cheese mixed with sliced green onions, brown sugar and garlic powder! Cover leftover bagels tightly and store at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes:
This is a plain bagel recipe, but you can add any toppings you want! After you put on the egg wash, immediately dip your bagels into your toppings (maybe some sesame seeds or some dried, minced garlic? Or anything else your heart desires!).
I tried to mix in some food coloring to one to make a rainbow bagel, but I need to do some more experimentation to perfect that method.
Thanks to Sally's Baking Addiction Blog for this great recipe that even a beginner like me could easily follow!
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/homemade-bagels/
