EASY & QUICK HOMEMADE BAGELS

These easy & quick homemade bagels are just too amazing to miss. They are made with just some basic ingredients that are easily available in the pantry. The best part of making bagels homemade is that you can easily experiment with the flavors.

Bagels are the one thing I missed the most while I was stuck at home during the lockdown. So that motivated me to make bagels at home. I was skeptical that it would be a hard task. But surprisingly, these bagels are easy to make. I have used Instant Pot to raise the dough, so the task was way easier.

As I have mentioned earlier also, these bagels are quick to make. All you need is 2 hours of your time & freshly baked bagels will be ready to serve. I love baking so thought to try my hands on bagels this time. And I'm so happy with the results. They are soft and yet chewy and taste superb when toasted.

HOMEMADE BAGELS INGREDIENTS

• BREAD FLOUR: You can use bread flour or all-purpose flour in the recipe. But as Bread Flour has high protein content, it is perfect for bagels. And also bread flour makes bagels chewier in comparison to all-purpose flour.
• SUGAR: Granulated sugar is added to give a little sweetness to the bagels. Sugar also helps in activating the yeast faster.
• ACTIVE YEAST: Active yeast or Instant Yeast is added to raise or puff the dough.
• MALT POWDER: Malt powder is usually added for bagels and bread. It gives a distinctive flavor to the bread & also provides a shiny texture to the bagels.
• SALT: Salt is added to balance the flavor of bagels.

TIPS TO REMEMBER

1. Do not add too much water, the dough needs to be a little hard to maintain the elasticity.
2. Water should be warm and not hot or cold. Lukewarm water helps in activating the yeast quickly.
3. Bread is high in protein so mixing for a longer time helps to form the dough more properly. If you are using all-purpose flour then you don't need to over-mix the dough.
4. Malt powder gives in smoother texture as well as helps in providing a distinctive flavor.
5. When forming the flour balls, there is no need to rest them for more puffing.
6. When giving the bagels a water bath, just add 2-3 bagels at one time. If there are too many bagels while performing a water bath, then bagels might lose shape. And they won't all look the same.
7. Before baking, you can also give the bagels an egg wash for the extra finish. This will give a shiny texture to bagels.

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE BAGELS

How to Make the Dough & Shape it

1. ADD ALL INGREDIENTS: Add all ingredients except water in a stand mixer attached bowl. You don't need to activate the yeast first. Instead, you can add all the ingredients at once. For kneading with a hand, put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl.

   

   

2. FORM A DOUGH: Start mixing at low-speed in a stand mixer and add water little by little until it forms like a dough. Increase the speed and keep kneading for 10 minutes. When kneading with hand, knead for 15 minutes.
3. RAISE THE DOUGH: Spray some oil in the bowl or transfer the dough onto parchment paper. Transfer the dough and let it rest for 1-2 hours until it is double in size.

   

   

4. CUT THE DOUGH: Once the dough has risen, cut the dough like a pizza or in equal-sized balls. Shape them in smooth balls and let them rest for a few minutes until they are a little puffed.
5. PREPARE WATER BATH: Meanwhile, prepare a water bath by boiling 2 quartz of water along with sugar and malt powder.

How to Shape the Bagels & Bake Them

1. FORM BAGELS: Once the water bath comes to a boil and the dough has risen then it's time to shape the bagels. Take one ball and poke a hole in the center using your index finger. Stretch the dough and twirl it around until the bagel is 1 ½"-2" in diameter. For tips on how to from bagels, watch the video here.

   

   

   

2. WATER BATH: One by one transfer the prepared bagels to the water bath. Do not crowd them. Just add 2-3 bagels at one time. Cook the bagels for 2 minutes on one side. Then flip the bagels and cook for 1 more minute on another side. Strain the bagel out from the water bath and place it on parchment paper on the baking sheet.

   

   

3. ADD SEASONING: You can add seasoning like everything bagels or fried onion or sesame seeds. Add the seasoning just after bagels come out of the water bath and are still wet. Seasoning will not stick if the water is dried out from the bagels.

   

4. BAKE: Bake for 20-25 minutes at 425 degrees until the bagels are deep brown. Let them rest for some time until they are warm but not too hot. Serve with cream cheese or make a bagel sandwich.

COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How to make Cinnamon Raisins Bagels?

When the dough has risen or puffed then place the dough on the workbench. Add around ½ - ¾ cups of raisins and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon (or more if needed). Start to knead with hands until raisins and cinnamon are properly combined with the dough. Shape the bagels as per instructions.

Are Bagels Healthy?

It mostly depends on the type of bagels and the flour used to make bagels. But usually, they are high in carbs and low in fat and protein. Though you can add some nutrients to bagels to increase their nutritional value.

What to add in these Homemade Bagels?

You can add cream cheese to bagels. I like putting jalapeno-infused cream cheese on my bagels. You can flavor your cream cheese and use it with bagels. Or you can also make bagel sandwiches by adding some veggies and cream cheese.

How to Store Homemade Bagels?

Use freshly baked bagels as quickly as possible. Otherwise, if you store them in a refrigerator, then they will get hard and dry. You can put bagels in Ziplocs once they are completely cooled down. You can store them in the freezer or at room temperature.

• HOMEMADE BREAD BOWL
• FOCACCIA BREAD
• PESTO BABKA
• BANANA BREAD
• ZUCCHINI BREAD