New York Bagel Recipes

NEW YORK BAGEL RECIPE

Steps:

• Place the cool water in a large bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon of honey.
• Sprinkle the yeast on top and allow it to dissolve. (After about 5 to 10 minutes, the mixture should start to look foamy.)
• Stir in the flour, mixing until a stiff, shaggy dough forms.
• Add the salt, and knead the dough until it gathers into a ball and becomes smooth and elastic.
• Continue kneading the dough until it passes the windowpane test** (about 15 to 20 minutes).
• Divide the dough into 8 equal portions, rolling each one into a smooth ball. (Cover the dough as you're working so it doesn't dry out.)
• Place each ball of dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet that's been generously dusted with cornmeal, cover, and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
• Using a thumb or finger, poke a hole into the center of each ball of dough, then stretch the hole wider to form the bagel shape.
• Place the shaped bagels back onto cornmeal-dusted, parchment-lined baking sheets, tent with lightly greased foil, and refrigerate for 12 to 18 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F, bring the water to a rapid boil, and add the remaining honey and the baking soda (the water will foam up briefly).
• Gently place the bagels in the hot water, allowing them to boil for 20 seconds on each side.
• Carefully remove the bagels from the hot water with a spider or slotted spoon, allowing them to drain on a wire rack.
• Transfer the bagels to a baking sheet that's been lined with lightly greased parchment paper.
• Brush them lightly with egg wash and sprinkle on toppings (if using), then bake until golden brown and blistered (approximately 12 to 18 minutes).

THE REAL NEW YORK BAGEL RECIPE

Steps:

• In a medium/large bowl or pot, stir the sponge together with a whisk or wooden spoon. Make sure to get all dry materials mixed in well.
• Cover with plastic wrap and keep at room temperature for 2+ hours.
• After sponge is bubbly with small holes at the top and about 2 hours have gone by, pour sponge into your mixing bowl.
• Attach dough hook. Then add all ingredients listed for dough. Flour can be added gradually as mixer is going.
• Knead with dough hook for approximately 10 minutes or until dough looks smooth and is not too sticky. Dough should be quite stiff (add more flour if needed).
• Turn out on counter and knead by hand for a few minutes. (More if your mixer couldn't handle the kneading for very long). Make sure dough does not stick to fingers to get to proper consistency.
• Divide dough with a knife into 12 equal pieces about 4.5 oz. each. make into "balls". Cover to rest with plastic wrap for 20 minutes.
• Shape each ball into a bagel by pushing your thumb(s) through the middle.
• then using your two index fingers in the hole, make fast circular motions, stretching the hole out a bit. Don't worry if they are not perfect.
• Place bagels on sheet pans or cookie sheets that have been sprayed with cooking spray oil. Leave an inch or so on all sides.
• Let rise under plastic wrap for 20 minutes then place in refrigerator.
• Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight.
• Pull pans from fridge, get a large pot (4 quarts) of water on the boil and preheat the oven to 500 deg. F. move racks to the top of the oven.
• Add 1 T. baking soda to water (this increases the color depth and flavor of the bagel while baking).
• When water is boiling, pull 2-3 bagels at a time gently and place them upside down in the water.
• Boil for 30 seconds then flip over with a large slotted spoon or similar and repeat for other side. (if perchance your bagels have had time to warm up from the fridge the boiling time decreases--if your bagels are coming out of the boiling water looking too flat, decrease the boiling time on each side but always go a minimum of 15 seconds per side).
• Remove each bagel with spoon and slide off on to a large clean cotton cloth (flour sack type material not terry cloth) for draining.
• Repeat with all other bagels.
• Place parchment paper in your sheet pans or cookie sheets.
• Spread corn meal evenly and lightly on parchment paper.
• Place moist, warm bagels gently on corn meal. You can place them touching one another. Sometimes we like our bagels plain with no toppings, if you do, skip the next couple steps --.
• Make an egg wash with 1 egg mixed with approx 1/2 cup of water and when well-mixed, brush across tops of bagels. If you don't like a slightly eggy taste, you could brush with just egg whites mixed with a bit of water. This will help hold topping on.
• Sprinkle with desired toppings (I like toasted sesame seeds and poppy seeds the best, but this could include a dizzying number of different toppings-whatever you like).
• Turn oven down to 450 deg F. as you place pan(s) in oven.
• Bake for 5-7 minutes then turn pan around and switch pans on racks as necessary.
• Bake for another 5-10 minutes turning as necessary and repeat this until all bagels are evenly deep golden brown. Total cooking time will be 20-25 minutes until all are evenly deep golden.
• Remove from oven, let cool on pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for at least 15 minutes (ok, 5 minutes!) before devouring.

MONTREAL BAGELS

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of an electric mixer that has a dough hook, blend together the water, yeast, sugar and salt. Stir in the whole egg, the yolk, oil and 1/2 cup honey, and mix well.
• Add the 5 cups flour, and mix until the dough is too stiff to mix by hand. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface (if using electric mixer, attach dough hook), and knead to form a soft, supple dough. Add a bit more flour as needed to prevent dough from getting too sticky.
• When the dough is smooth and elastic, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap or with a plastic bag. (See note.)
• Let the dough rest about 20 minutes. Punch it down, and divide into 18 equal portions. Pour the water into a Dutch oven, along with the remaining 1/3 cup honey or malt syrup, and heat to boiling. Cover, reduce the heat, and allow to simmer while preparing the bagels.
• Shape the dough portions into bagels or doughnutlike rings by elongating each portion into an 8- to 10-inch coil that is 3/4 inch thick. Fold the ends over each other, pressing with the palm of one hand and rolling back and forth gently to seal. This locks the ends together and must be done properly or the bagels will open while being boiled. Let the bagels rest 15 minutes on a towel-lined baking sheet.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring the water back to a boil and remove the lid. Have bowls of poppy seeds and sesame seeds nearby.
• When the water is boiling, use a slotted spoon, and add three bagels to the water. As they rise to the surface, turn them over, and let them boil an additional minute before removing them and quickly dipping them in either bowl of the seeds. Continue boiling the bagels in batches of three until all have been boiled and seeded.
• Arrange the boiled bagels on a baking sheet, and bake on the lowest rack of oven until they are medium brown, approximately 25 minutes. Remove from the oven. Once cooled, the bagels can be placed in a plastic bag, sealed and frozen.

NEW YORK STYLE BAGELS

Steps:

• Add sugar and yeast to 1/2 cup warm water, without stirring. Let sit for five minutes, then stir until dissolved.
• Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and our in the yeast mixture along with half the remaining water. Begin to mix, adding more water as needed to form a firm dough.
• On a floured counter, knead for 20 minutes (I know its a long time, consider it your arm workout for the day). Cover and set in a warm place to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled. Punch down and let sit another 10 minutes.
• Divide dough into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. To form the bagel, dip your pointer finger into some flour and poke it through the middle of the ball to form a rind. Stretch it out so that the hole is about 1/3rd the diameter of the bagel. Continue with remaining pieces. Set on a cookie sheet, cover, and let sit for another 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the baking soda to a large pot of water and bring it to a boil. Working in batches, add about 3 bagels to the boiling water. They should float to the top almost immediately. Let boil 2 minutes, then flip over and let boil 3 minutes on the other side. Remove and return to cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining bagels.
• While the bagels are boiling, combine the egg yolk with 2 Tbs water. Brush over the bagel as you remove them from the pot. Sprinkle with any toppings that you desire (ex: coarse sea salt, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, dehydrated garlic, etc).
• Heat oven to 450. Bake bagels for 10-15 minutes or until the bagels are a light golden color.

NEW YORK-STYLE BAGEL RECIPE

Steps:

• 1. In ½ cup of the warm water, pour in the sugar and yeast. Do not stir. Let it sit for five minutes, and then stir the yeast and sugar mixture, until it all dissolves in the water. 2. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in the yeast and sugar mixture. 3. Pour half of the remaining warm water into the well. Mix and stir in the rest of the water as needed. You want a moist and firm dough after you have mixed it. 4. On a floured suface, knead dough for 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. work in as much flour as possible to form a firm and stiff dough. 5. Lightly brush a large bowl with oil and turn the dough to coat. Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in size. Punch the dough down, and let it rest for another 10 minutes. 6. Divide the dough into 8 pieces. Shape each into a round. press a dough ball gently against the countertop 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. 7. Coat a finger in flour, gently press finger into the center of each dough ball to form ring. Stretch ring to diameter of the bagel and place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. 8. cover dough rounds with a damp kitchen towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425ºF. 9. Bring water to a boil. Reduce heat. lower the bagels into the water. Boil as many as you are comfortable.. Let them sit floating for 1 minute, and them flip them over to boil for another minute. Extend the boiling times to 2 minutes each, if you'd prefer a chewier bagel. 10. Top bagels w/ stuff as you take them out. use egg wash to get the toppings to stick. 11. Once all bagels have boiled and topped, transfer them to a lightly oiled baking sheet. 12. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown. 13. Cool on a wire rack (or eat)