Homemade Bagel Recipe
This homemade bagel recipe replicates everything I love about classic New York-style bagels, including the perfectly golden exterior and soft, chewy center, with a handful of ingredients and simple steps. Whether you top them with cream cheese, smoked salmon, or keep things simple with butter, these bagels are 100% worth the effort and are surprisingly easy to make!
Servings: 12 servings
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer with Dough Hook Attachment
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Bench Scraper
- 2 Large Baking Sheets
- 1 Small Shallow Bowl
- 1 Large Pot
- 1 Slotted Spoon or Spider
- 1 Wire Cooling Rack
- 1 Medium Saucepan
- 1 Cheesecloth
Ingredients
For the Bagels
- 845 gram high-gluten flour*
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoon instant yeast
- 2 tablespoon barley malt syrup
- 2 ¼ cup water
For the Boiling Liquid
- water enough to fill a large pot
- 1 tablespoon barley malt syrup
For the Toppings
- everything bagel seasoning as desired
For the Cream Cheese
- 1 quart whole milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt to taste
Serving Toppings (Optional)
- smoked salmon Nova or Scottish
- red onion thinly sliced
- capers
- lemon wedges
Instructions
For the Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast. Add the barley malt syrup and water. Mix on medium-low speed for 12-15 minutes, until a stiff, smooth dough forms.845 gram high-gluten flour*, 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 ¼ teaspoon instant yeast, 2 tablespoon barley malt syrup, 2 ¼ cup water
- Perform the windowpane test: Pinch off a small piece of dough. Stretch it until a thin windowpane forms without tearing. Continue mixing until it passes the test, if needed.
- Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a bowl, and cover it with a plate or plastic wrap. Chill for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and lightly dust them with flour. Fill a small, shallow bowl with flour.
- Remove the dough from the bowl. Use a bench scraper to cut the dough into 12 equal portions, about 115 grams each.
- Form each portion into a ball, leaving the smooth skin exposed. With the smooth side of the ball against the palm of your hand, roll each ball against a clean surface in a circular motion to seal the bottom. If the dough doesn’t stick and seal, add a few drops of water to the clean surface to help the dough stick. Lightly dip the bottom of each ball of dough into the flour in the shallow bowl. Place six balls on each prepared baking sheet.
- Lightly cover the dough with plastic wrap, and proof in a warm, dry place for one and a half hours, or until the dough has increased in size by 50%. Then, refrigerate the dough for one hour, allowing it to firm up.
- Poke a hole through the center of each dough ball and gently stretch to form a three-inch opening.
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, and add barley malt syrup. Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C).water, 1 tablespoon barley malt syrup
- Working in batches, boil the bagels 30-45 seconds per side. Transfer the bagels back to the baking sheets. Add the everything bagel seasoning to taste while the bagels are still wet.everything bagel seasoning
- Transfer the bagels to the oven, and bake 14-18 minutes or until deeply golden brown and shiny, rotating the pans once. Transfer the baked bagels to wire racks to cool completely.
For the Cream Cheese
- Heat the milk and cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the mixture reaches 185°F (85°C). Stir in the lemon juice, and remove the pan from the heat. Let the mixture stand at room temperature until curds form, about ten minutes.1 quart whole milk, ½ cup heavy cream, 3 tablespoon lemon juice
- Strain the liquid through a cheesecloth set over a bowl; discard the whey. Rinse and cover the curds; chill overnight.
- Transfer the curds to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat until smooth and spreadable, and season with salt to taste.salt
For the Plating
- Slice the cooled bagels in half with a bread knife.
- Spread cream cheese evenly over the bottom half of each bagel.
- Top with lox, thinly sliced scallions, tomatoes, capers, and lemon.smoked salmon, red onion, capers, lemon wedges
Video
Notes
*Measure flour in grams for the best results.
*Adjust the ingredient amounts in the recipe instructions accordingly if doubling or tripling the recipe.
*Nutrition information does not include cream cheese or toppings.
Storage:
- Store cooled bagels in an airtight container or sealable bag at room temperature for up to two days. Store the cream cheese in a separate airtight container for up to five days.
- For the best results, refresh leftover bagels by toasting them in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for five to ten minutes or just until they're soft in the center and slightly crisp on the outside.
- Slice cooled bagels in half, and freeze them in a freezer-safe bag for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature, or toast from frozen.
- Store cooled bagels in an airtight container or sealable bag at room temperature for up to two days. Store the cream cheese in a separate airtight container for up to five days.
- For the best results, refresh leftover bagels by toasting them in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for five to ten minutes or just until they're soft in the center and slightly crisp on the outside.
- Slice cooled bagels in half, and freeze them in a freezer-safe bag for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature, or toast from frozen.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 281kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 590mg | Potassium: 97mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 3mg