Stock up on your favorite toppings because once you’ve mastered this recipe you’ll never be out of bagels.
Photo by Gwénaël Le Vot
MAKES 8 LARGE BAGELS
4 cups bread flour
½ teaspoon instant yeast
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups water, room temperature
3 tablespoons honey
Flour or cornmeal, for dusting
Sesame seeds (or other desired toppings)
In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients well. Add the water and mix, using the handle of a large wooden spoon, just enough to form a dough. Do not knead. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit 18 hours at room temperature.
After 18 hours, wash your hands well and remove the dough to a clean surface sprinkled with flour. Fold dough over on itself a couple times: top, bottom and sides.
Wrap dough in the plastic wrap you just used for the bowl and let rest for 15 minutes.
Put down a clean cotton towel (or parchment paper) and sprinkle it with flour. Put the dough in the middle of the towel and wrap the towel around the dough. If using parchment paper, cover with a clean towel.
Let the dough “proof” for 2 hours. Around the 1:45 mark, start preheating the oven to 450 F, and boil water in a large pot. Add the honey to the water and stir it in well. Why honey? It improves the crumb of the bagels.
When the 2-hour proofing time has expired, unwrap towel and turn dough onto a floured work surface. With well-floured hands, divide the dough into eight pieces and form into balls. Flatten with your hand and make a 2-inch hole in the middle of each, using your thumb or small cookie cutter.
Dust a baking sheet liberally with cornmeal or flour. Or line baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Boil 2–3 bagels at a time for 1 minute—flipping after 30 seconds. Using a spider spatula, remove bagels from the water and place on the baking sheet. Let the boil resume between batches.
Sprinkle top of bagels lightly with sesame seeds or other desired toppings.
Bake for 20–25 minutes or until nicely browned. Cool on baking sheet for 20 minutes and transfer to cooling rack. Bagels will keep for 2–3 days on counter in plastic zip-close bag or up to a week in the refrigerator.
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What is a bread lame? A razor-sharp blade used to make cuts in bread dough. A paring knife or scissors will drag the dough, whereas a lame will make clean cuts.
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