» Homemade Bagels (2024)

FAQs

Is it worth making your own bagels? ›

Homemade bagels are irresistibly chewy, and boast a crisp, golden-brown exterior. They taste fresher and more flavorful than anything you can buy. You can get endlessly creative with toppings and mix-ins. Unlike other from-scratch breads, they require just a handful of staple ingredients, and no special equipment.

Pull the bagels out of the fridge and let them set for a few minutes, then test one by dropping it in the pot – it should sink, then rise to the surface within a minute. Do a few at a time so the cold dough doesn't stop the boil.

When too much flour is kneaded in, bagels become dense, hard and tough, instead of crisp and chewy. It can easily take 10 minutes of mixing and kneading before the right texture and gluten strength is achieved.

Making Homemade Bagels is cheaper than buying them. Although going to a bagel shop makes for a delicious meal, it gets expensive quick. That's why we love making them at home. This recipe gives you all the things you want in a bagel.

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. Maple syrup – It activates the yeast and gives the bagels a hint of sweetness.

A brief boil gives bagels a thin and fairly elastic crust that will still allow the bagels rise quite a bit in the oven, resulting in a softer texture. A longer boil and a thicker crust prevents the bagel from rising very much at all, giving you a very dense interior.

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.

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.

When it sinks like a rock, your dough is too dense, and it needs to rise a bit more before you boil. After you've boiled, you'll brush with the egg wash. and top with your toppings and then bake.

What hydration should bagel dough be? ›

Hydration. Bagels are usually made from a stiff, dry dough, with hydrations in the range of 55 to 65% (compared to soft sandwich or crusty artisan breads, which are usually 65% hydration and higher). This helps give them their signature tight crumb structure and their chew.

On Instagram and TikTok, Henrion continues, there's a recent trend among bagel shops called the “knock test,” where a person is shown rapping their knuckles on a bagel, listening for a hollow sound (which indicates doneness), and subsequently ripping the bagel apart with the exerted theatrics one might display while ...

The dough will ferment quicker, and thus can overproof if you don't keep an eye on it. We call for barley malt syrup in the recipe, but that's not your only option.

Moreira: Cook your bagels for 15 minutes at 450 to 500°F. As long as your oven temperature is correct, they should be ready. If you're looking for signs: they should have a golden-brown crust, feel light and not heavy or dense, and the bottom should be crispy and golden-brown, as well.

If you plan to enjoy your bagels within a week, a zip-top bag can help maintain freshness. Just be sure that they cool down first, as warm bagels can sweat and lose their crisp exterior in the bag. You'll also want to ensure there's minimal air inside the bag; otherwise, the bagels might turn hard.

However, most bagel shops sell complementary items like coffee and other breakfast food items. Food industry reports suggest that an average customer at a bagel store spends about $10 per visit. In a moderately busy shop, this could translate to annual gross sales ranging from $500,000 to over a million dollars.

How much does it cost to make one bagel? It typically only takes about 10 to 35 cents!

Enjoy bagels a healthier way by making them at home and considering some alterations. Store-bought options are not usually the healthiest. Many are made with more sugar than necessary and unhealthy ingredients. Making bagels at home allows you to see exactly what is being put into your mix.

Fresh bagels are best eaten on the same day they're baked. When stored at room temperature in a paper bag, fresh bagels can last for about two to three days. Fresh bagels can last for about three to four months when stored in the freezer, and thawed in a toaster.