Bagels 2
Submitted by ChefG
Homemade bagels made with potato water for extra softness and chew. Boiled in sugared water then baked until golden - this classic method delivers that glossy, crispy crust. Makes 30 bagels.
YIELD
30 servingsPREP
45 minCOOK
15 minREADY
60 minThese homemade bagels use potato water — the starchy liquid left from boiling potatoes — instead of plain water, and the recipe is upfront about why: “plain water may be used, but it’s not as good." The potato starch adds softness to the interior and helps the dough develop a better chew.
The dough must be firm. That’s the recipe’s own emphasis, and it’s right. A slack bagel dough produces soft rolls; only a properly firm dough holds its shape through the boiling step and bakes into something with the dense, chewy pull a bagel is supposed to have. If it feels too sticky, add more flour.
The boiling step is what separates bagels from rolls. Each bagel drops into sugared boiling water, floats to the surface, gets flipped, and boils one more minute. That brief bath gelatinizes the outer starch before the oven sets it into a shatteringly crisp, glossy crust. Sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds right after they come out of the water, before baking.
Pro Tips
- Save your potato cooking water; it should be lukewarm (not hot) when the yeast goes in
- Knead for the full 10 minutes — properly developed gluten is what gives bagels their characteristic chew
- Pinch the rope ends together firmly; weak seams open up in the boiling water
- Don’t overcrowd the boiling pot; 2-3 bagels at a time is enough for proper handling
Variations
- Roll ropes in everything bagel seasoning before pinching into circles
- Add a tablespoon of malt syrup to the boiling water for a more traditional flavor and deeper brown crust
Ingredients
Directions
- (Water which peeled potatos have cooked in. Plain water may be used, but it’s not as good.)
Sift together dry ingredients. Soften yeast in ⅓ of potato water. Add to flour. Add oil to remaining potato water and stir into the flour mixture. Add eggs and stir briskly to form a ball of dough. Knead on a lightly floured board for 10 minutes. (This MUST be a firm dough) Add more flour if necessary. Return to the bowl--smooth side up. Cover with a towel (tea etc) and let rise at room temperature until the dough rises to the top of the bowl. Knead again on a lightly floured board until smooth and elastic (as for rolls). Pinch off pieces of dough and roll between the palms of the hands to form ropes about 6 inches long and ¾ inches wide. Pinch the ends together firmly to make a doughnut shape.
Add sugar to boiling water. Drop bagels into water one at a time. As they come to the surface, turn them over. Boil 1 minute longer on the second side.
Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 450 F. until the crust is golden brown and crisp--10 to 15 minutes. Bagels may be sprinkled with poppy seed or sesame seed before baking if you like.
Comments