Water Bagels
Submitted by Curtis
Homemade water bagels with the proper boil-then-bake method: shaped, chilled, dropped into sugar-water, then baked until shiny and golden. The classic dense-chewy bagel texture, made from scratch.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
25 minREADY
220 minReal homemade bagels are made by the boil-then-bake method, and water bagels are the classic. Boiling the shaped rings in sweetened water before baking is what gives bagels their signature shiny-skinned crust and dense, chewy interior. Skip this step (as some ‘fast’ bagel recipes do) and you’ve baked round bread rolls, not bagels.
The sugar in the boiling water isn’t optional. It promotes Maillard browning so the bagels develop a deep golden color in the oven, and contributes to the slightly sweet, glossy crust that defines a proper water bagel. Some bakers use barley malt syrup for even more authentic flavor.
The 2-hour fridge rest after shaping is the sleeper technique most home recipes skip. Cold dough holds its shape during the boil instead of slumping into pancakes, and the slow cold proof develops more complex flavor. Don’t rush this step.
Wait for the bagels to surface during boiling before flipping. They’ll sink at first, then rise to the top as the dough sets, that’s your visual cue for the second-side timer to start. Boil too long (more than 3 minutes per side) and the crust gets too thick and chewy; too short and the texture stays bready.
The egg white wash is the pre-bake glaze that takes the shine to the next level. Brushed on after boiling and before baking, it bakes into a glossy, slightly crackly skin that looks like it came from a real bagel shop.
Pro Tips
- Use bread flour instead of all-purpose for chewier, more authentic bagels.
- Wet your hands when forming the rope-and-ring shape; it prevents the dough from tearing as you stretch.
- The recipe’s milk-based dough makes softer bagels; for a chewier traditional bagel, swap milk for warm water.
- Top with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or everything bagel seasoning before baking by pressing into the still-wet egg wash.
Variations
- Add 2 tablespoons of malt syrup to the boiling water for deeper, more authentic NYC bagel flavor.
- Press shaped bagels into a plate of cinnamon sugar before baking for cinnamon-sugar bagels.
- Stir 1 cup of raisins into the dough during the last few minutes of kneading for raisin bagels.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 400℉ (200℃).
Combine the scalded milk, butter, sugar and salt.
Warm gently to a temperature of between 105 degrees and 115 degrees.
Remove from the heat and add and dissolve the yeast in the mixture.
Wait 3 minutes while the yeast works.
Blend in the eggs and flour.
Knead this soft dough for 10 minutes, adding flour if needed to make it firm enough to handle.
Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in bulk.
Punch down and divide into equal parts (one part for each finished bagel).
Roll each piece into a rope about 7 inches long and tapered at the ends.
Wet the ends and form a doughnut-shaped ring from each rope.
Cover and let rise on a floured board for about 15 minutes.
Place in a refrigerator for 2 hours to firm up the dough.
Bring the water to a boil and add the sugar.
Drop the rings, one at a time, into the boiling sugar water.
When the bagels surface, turn them over and cook an additional 3 minutes.
Skim the bagels out of the water and place on an ungreased baking sheet.
Coat each with beaten egg white.
Bake in the oven until golden brown (The longer you bake, the crisper the bagel).
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