“Bagels: making mornings great since forever.”
Rachel’s New York–style Bagels
Total Time: 1 day | Prep: 3 hours | Proofing: 12 hours (up to 2 days) | Cook: 10 min
Yield: 12 bagels
Ingredients:
For the sponge:
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
4 cups bread flour*
1 ½ cups water, warm to room temperature
For the rest of the dough:
½ teaspoon active dry yeast
3 ¾ cups bread flour*
3 teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
For the boiling:
1 Tablespoon baking soda
For the toppings:
Everything Bagel Seasoning
Chocolate chips**
Cheddar cheese
Seasme seeds
*You can sub all-purpose flour, if that is all you have. Just note that the bagels will be a little less chewy, but still good since you boil each side of the bagel for 2 minutes.
**Try twisting the chocolate chips in to the bagels after Step 9. Cut the bagel ball on one side and roll into a long roll. Then slice the long roll down the middle and sprinkle the chocolate chips inside. Pitch the seam closed and then form a “o” shape with a 2 inch hole. Then, at Step 17, sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top as well.
Directions:
In a large bowl, stir the 1 teaspoon of yeast into the 4 cups of bread flour. Add the water, mixing just until the dough resembles pancake batter.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for about 2 hours, or until the sponge had doubled in size and is nice and foamy/bubbly.
Stir in the remaining ½ teaspoon of yeast into the sponge.
Stir in 3 cups of the bread flour, salt, and brown sugar and mix (using your dough hook if you are using a stand-up mixer) until the dough forms a ball. Adding up to ¾ cup more of flour (a little bit at a time) until the dough has come together (I have never used the entire extra ¾ cup; only ½ at the most).
Knead for at least 10 minutes by hand (or 6 minutes, if you are using a stand-up mixer) *You do not want the dough to be sticky, so watch the dough as you add the extra flour (adding too much flour will make the dough too tough).
Once the dough is ready, immediately divide it into 12 equal pieces and form them into balls.
Cover the balls with a damp towel and let them rest on the cutting board or counter for about 20 minutes.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray.
Shape the bagels by pressing your thumb through the middle of each dough ball and gently stretching out from the center by 2 inches.
Place the formed bagels about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets, lightly spray with oil, and cover them loosely with plastic wrap. Let them sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Now it is time for the float test! Fill a bowl with cool or room temperature water. Place a bagel in the water bowl and it should float within 20 seconds.
If it doesn’t, let the bagels rest longer and try the float test again.If the bagel floats right away, pat it dry and place it on the baking sheet.
Cover the bagels with plastic wrap and set them in the fridge to rest overnight (important step) or up to two days.
When you are ready to bake them, pre-heat the oven to 500°F and bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, dump in the 1 Tablespoon of baking soda.
Then remove the bagels from the fridge and place 2 or 3 bagels in the boiling pot of water (do not over crowd them).
Boil them for 1-2 minutes on each side (2 minutes is the chewier bagel you want) and then place them back on the baking sheet.
If you are going to do any toppings, do it immediately after they come out of the baking soda bath—the moisture will help the toppings stick.
Once all the bagels have been boiled and all the toppings are on, then they are ready to go into the oven.
Bake them for 5 minutes and then rotate 180° and switch the shelves, one pan at a time. Then, bake for another 5 minutes.
Let them cool completely and then slice and flash freeze immediately. Place the bagels in a container in the fridge or freezer for delicious bagels all week!