Homemade Bagels, à la Jo Goldenberg Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my homemade bagels tough? ›

Moreira: Usually if you get dense bagels, it's because they were underproofed. But it could also be that your yeast is bad. When you're at home using dry yeast—especially if you don't use it that often—you should always bloom the yeast in a little bit of sugar and water to make sure it's active.

Swapping in ½ cup of whole-wheat flour for ½ cup of the bread flour will make the bagels slightly less chewy but will also give them a boost of flavor.

A good bagel should have a thin, shiny, crackly crust spotted with the kind of microblisters that you can only get from proper boiling followed by a high-temperature bake. It's these little bubbles that add both surface area and crunch.

Bread flour – Because of its high protein content, bread flour makes these homemade bagels delightfully chewy. This recipe also works with all-purpose flour, they're just a bit less chewy than bagels made with bread flour.

If the bagels are fresh from the bakery, make sure they cool completely before you put them in the plastic bag. It's also important to squeeze any excess air out of the bag before sealing it, otherwise the bagels might harden. Stored this way, whole bagels should stay fresh for about six days.

What Makes a Bagel Chewy? Bread flour is the essential ingredient to creating that distinct chewy bite we all crave in a bagel. Its high protein content creates a stiff dough that holds its shape while baking and develops more gluten for more chew.

All-purpose flour has a lower percentage of protein which means that it will produce a much softer texture. You need the higher protein content from the bread flour which creates more gluten and a more elastic dough. This equals the ideal chewy bagel.

Baking soda makes the water more alkaline, giving the bagels a pretzel-like quality that contributes to their chewiness. Just one teaspoon helps the bagels develop a shiny, dark-brown exterior as they bake.

The New York Water and Local Ingredients

NYC bagel purists will claim the main difference between a New York bagel vs. a regular bagel is the water you boil them in. Much like a specific vineyard terroir is used to make a wine, certain minerals in New York City tap water are attributed to creating the best bagels.

New York style bagels are made with malt syrup and New York City water (which locals will tell you makes all the difference), and their fermentation is drawn out in cold temperatures to deepen the flavor. They're poached in salted water and then baked.

Is bagel dough the same as bread dough? ›

Bagels and bread use different types of dough, although they share some basic ingredients. The dough used for bagels typically contains higher levels of certain ingredients, resulting in a distinct texture and flavor.

Bagels, like pretzels, are boiled first to create a crunchy exterior. Bagels are boiled in water usually 30 to 60 seconds before hitting the oven. This boiling causes the starch on the exterior of the bread to gel and create a barrier from the interior dough.

The microwave is a quick solution for many kitchen tasks. To help soften a hard bagel, simply wrap it in a moist paper towel and microwave it for 15 seconds. You can also set the bagel on a microwave-safe plate, then surround it with a few water drops or lightly mist it and put it in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Before baking, let's top the bagels. Brush with a little egg white, then coat in everything bagel seasoning. This is a blend of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, dried minced onion, dried garlic flakes, and coarse salt. Feel free to use more of one seasoning than another, or leave one out if you don't like it.

Dense and Heavy

Despite getting some nice blistering, overworked doughs don't retain gas well and resist expansion, leading to a dense ring with a tight crumb.

A proper bagel should be chewy enough that it takes a bit of jaw muscle to bite into it. Good bagels are denser than most bread, but not hard. Bagels are fully proofed before being boiled, then baked.