Well, butter my biscuit! Here’s hoping you’re as psyched to whip up some delicious homemade bagels as I am to share this recipe. It’s far from a piece of cake, mind you, but aren’t the tastiest things in life worth every elbow grease?
Now, bagels. Have you ever given thought to the magic that unfolds when dough hits the oven and brazenly puffs up? Our ancestors must’ve felt like God’s own chefs, quite literally pulling food out of thin air! Though in today’s concrete jungles, bagels are hailed as the go-to breakfast, the comfort food ideal with a schmear of cream cheese.
Phew, I digress!
So, step one: you’re going to mix the yeast, sugar, and warm water. Bless those tiny yeast fellas, working round the clock, belching gas up into our dough to give it that oh-so-perfect rise! Anyway, once you’ve got the yeast a-going in the warm sugar bath, let it sit. Remember, good things and yeast- proofed dough take time.
Splash! We add this to a well of flour, crafting a mix stickier than a politician’s promise. Knead until it feels smoother than a baby’s bottom. The more elbow grease, the better.
The next part is the most fun, like playing house again. Let that dough rest. Cover it up cozy and leave it be in all its plump glory for a while. It’s like a lazy Sunday for your dough and it needs that to become our beloved breakfast staple.
Baking from scratch might be a slow dance, but boy, when that oven door opens, and the smell of freshly made bagels hits your nostrils – you’ll think to yourself, Well, that was a piece of cake!
Let’s Taste This Dish!
- Stir together 2 teaspoons active dry yeast and 1.5 tablespoons granulated sugar in 1 cup of warm water. Let stand until foamy, about five minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix 3.5 cups bread flour and 1.5 teaspoons salt in a large bowl and make a well in the center.
- Pour the yeast mixture into the well and stir until the dough combines.
- Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about ten minutes, or until smooth and elastic.
- Lightly brush a large bowl with oil. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to oil all sides. Cover with a damp dish towel.
- Let rise in a warm place for one hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Punch down the dough, then let rest for ten minutes.
- Carefully divide the dough into eight pieces.
- Shape each piece into a round. Now, take a dough ball, and press it gently against the countertop (or whatever work surface you’re using) moving your hand and the ball in a circular motion pulling the dough into itself while reducing the pressure on top of the dough slightly until a perfect dough ball forms.
- Coat a finger in flour, and gently press your finger into the center of each dough ball to form a ring.
- Deep each bagel into boiling water that has 1 tablespoon of barley malt syrup added, for 1-2 minutes on each side.
- Arrange boiled bagels on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven of 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) until they turn brown, it takes usually between 20-25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and serve with your favorite toppings. Enjoy fresh, homemade bagels!
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