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Homemade bagels

Name: Homemade bagels
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: golden caster sugar 2 tbsp; fast action yeast 7g sachet; olive oil 1 tbsp; strong bread flour 500g; light muscovado sugar 1 tbsp; bicarbonate of soda 1 tbsp; egg 1, beaten; poppy seeds, sesame seeds or sea salt, to finish

1 hour + rising time
makes 10
A little effort

Make perfect, chewy bagels with our easy step-by-step guide. This homemade bread recipe calls for simple ingredients, a little patience and some basic kneading

By Janine Ratcliffe

Published: April 20, 2020 at 4:04 pm

Try our homemade bagels recipe then check out four quick and easy bagel topping ideas.

We’ve also got more brilliant bread recipes to make at home, including a simple white bread loaf, soda bread and rye bread.

How to make bagels

Kneading the dough until smooth and elastic will help the finished shape and texture.
Create the classic bagel shape by pulling the dough down and tucking under to form a rough ball, then use your hands to roll into a smooth ball.
The bagel hole needs to be a particular size (3cm) to allow for dough expansion in the oven. If you don’t make the hole big enough it will close up again in the oven. Use a wooden spoon to first make the hole then expand to the right size.
Simmering the bagels first in a pan of boiling water and bicarbonate of soda allows the bagels to puff up slightly and to create a skin.

A bagel should crack as you bite into it and be a little chewy.

Bagel recipe

Ingredients

golden caster sugar 2 tbsp
fast action yeast 7g sachet
olive oil 1 tbsp
strong bread flour 500g
light muscovado sugar 1 tbsp
bicarbonate of soda 1 tbsp
egg 1, beaten
poppy seeds, sesame seeds or sea salt to finish

Method

Step 1

Pour 300ml warm water into a large bowl and stir in 2 tsp salt, the sugar, yeast, oil and half the flour. Keep adding the remaining flour, mixing with your hands or in a mixer with a dough hook until you have a soft, pliable dough. Knead for 10 minutes until the dough feels smooth and elastic and a finger indent pressed into it pops out quickly. Shape into a ball and put in a cleaned, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place until doubled in size, or put in the fridge to prove slowly overnight.
Step 2

Heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 10, each about 85g. Start to shape each piece by pulling it down and tucking under to form a rough ball.
Step 3

Cup your hand over and move your hand and the dough around in a circular motion to further shape the ball.
Step 4

Take a wooden spoon and use the handle to make a hole in the middle of each ball.
Step 5

Slip the end of the spoon into the hole, then twirl the bagel around the spoon to make a hole about 3cm wide – it needs to be this wide as it will shrink as the dough expands again. Cover loosely with clingfilm while you shape the rest.
Step 6

Bring a large pan of water to the boil and tip in the bicarb of soda – it will fizz madly. Slip the bagels into the boiling water – no more than four at a time. Cook for 1 minute, turning over in the water until the bagels have puffed slightly and a skin has formed – if you cook them for longer they will get chewier and look a bit bobbly after baking. Remove with a flat slotted spoon and drain away any excess water. Put on an oiled baking tray.
Step 7

Glaze with the egg and add any toppings you like. Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden and crisp. Cool on a wire rack.