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Rose’s Homemade Bagels

homemade bagel with cream cheese
Written By: The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors The Almanac Editors and Staff
Yield
Makes 10.
Category
Bread
Course
Breakfast & Brunches
Other
Preparation Method
Bake
Simmer
Sources
Yankee Magazine's Great New England Recipes

Making homemade bagels may seem intimidating, but Rose’s classic recipe makes it surprisingly approachable. Follow her simple instructions carefully, and you’ll be rewarded with plump, glossy bagels with a chewy texture and golden crust.

The secret is in the details: Don’t let the dough rise for more than 20 minutes, boil the bagels for exactly 7 minutes in honey-sweetened water, avoid crowding them in the pan, and brush them with an egg wash partway through baking. Serve these homemade bagels split and toasted for a delicious breakfast or snack.

Ingredients
4 to 5 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 package dry yeast
1 egg yolk
1-1/2 cups very warm water
1 tablespoon honey
1 egg white, beaten
1 tablespoon cold water
Poppyseeds (optional)

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl mix together 1-1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. 
  2. Gradually add egg yolk and warm water, and beat for 2 minutes at medium speed with an electric beater. Add 1/2 cup more flour and beat at high speed for 2 minutes. 
  3. With a spoon, stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. 
  4. Turn dough onto a floured board. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes (add more flour if dough is too sticky). 
  5. Place in an ungreased bowl. Cover, and let rise for 20 minutes (dough will not be doubled). Punch down and turn onto a floured board. 
  6. Cut into about 10 pieces and roll each piece between your hands to make a rope about 8 or 9 inches long; pinch the ends together to form circles. 
  7. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Cover and let rise for 20 minutes (not until doubled). 
  8. In a large shallow pan boil 1-3/4 inches water. Stir in honey. 
  9. Lower heat and add a few bagels at a time, being careful not to crowd them. Simmer for 7 minutes, turning bagels over halfway through cooking period. 
  10. Place on a towel to cool for 5 minutes, then place on ungreased baking sheets. 
  11. Bake bagels at 375°F for 10 minutes. 
  12. Remove from oven, brush with a mixture of egg white and cold water, sprinkle with poppyseeds if desired, and return to oven. Bake for 20 minutes longer. 
  13. Cool on wire racks. Serve split and toasted.

About The Author

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors

The Almanac Editors and Staff

Under the guiding hand of its first editor, Robert B. Thomas, the premiere issue of The Old Farmer’s Almanac was published in 1792 during George Washington’s first term as president.Today, the Almanac...

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Comments

<span>Colleen Carpen…</span> Tue, 10/08/2019 - 08:39
My granddaughter has celiac's disease, so I can't use a regular flour. Is it possible to use gluten free flour instead?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 10/08/2019 - 16:10

Hi, Colleen. We would not suggest substituting with gluten-free flour. However, if you search online for "gluten-free bagel recipe" you would be able to find something to make for your granddaughter. 

 <span>Vidya</span> Fri, 08/31/2018 - 07:24
Hi, I really want to try this recipe. I don't eat eggs, so I am wondering whether I can substitute the egg yoke with something. Thanks Vidya
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Fri, 08/31/2018 - 14:37

Hi, Vidya. We have not made this recipe without the egg so we can't guarantee the results. We can offer suggestions for substituting for yokes and egg whites. To substitute for an egg yoke, combine 1 tablespoon of vinegar with 1 teaspoon of baking soda. We've learned this is a popular way to sub for eggs in vegan cooking. And this may surprise you--you can substitute egg whites with the water in a can of chickpeas! Use 2 tablespoons of liquid and whip as you would an egg white. Good luck!

 <span>Patricia</span> Fri, 11/10/2017 - 09:11
I’ve been wanting to make these but all I have is rapid rise yeast. Can I still use that? If so, can I just leave out the letting it rise the first time? Thank you for all the great recipes!!
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 11/13/2017 - 12:32

Hi, Patricia. You can use rapid rise yeast, but still follow the directions.

 <span>Patricia</span> Tue, 11/28/2017 - 20:48
Thank you so much. My sister and I actually made these together. They are AMAZING!! We followed the directions to a t. We both agreed we would not ever buy a bagel from a store again.
<span>Herb Gardener</span> Fri, 10/27/2017 - 09:37
I love this recipe. This morning I'm going to make bagels using this recipe for the 3rd time. Dumped all my other bagel recipes in favor of this one.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Fri, 10/27/2017 - 10:38

Thank you for sharing! It's great to know this has tested out well. We appreciate this, on behalf of the community of cooks!

 <span>Judy Niemeyer</span> Tue, 10/03/2017 - 14:58
WOW! What a fantastic recipe. Lots of hard work goes into this but well worth it. I have never been a bread baker but this one I will do again and again. Just follow the instructions and you won't go wrong. My hubby was really surprised.