Our favorite bagels are not from a bagel shop but homemade. In my part of the world, there are no bagel shops. You can buy a bagel at the supermarket or at the airport, but no bagel shop where you can go pick out your favorite dozen. So I make my own. I make several different flavors, such as pumpernickel or cinnamon, at different times, but these are our favorite. They are especially good with smoked salmon and red onion.
Sourdough Bagels
Ingredients
4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¾ cup sourdough starter
1 ½ cups warm water
1 tablespoon honey
Olive oil for the bowl
Everything bagel topping
Directions
Combine the flour, yeast, salt, onion powder and garlic powder in the large bowl of an electric mixer.
With the paddle attachment, mix the dry ingredients thoroughly.
Combine the sourdough starter, warm water and honey in a large measuring cup and pour into the flour mixture in the electric mixer bowl.
Mix the dough with the paddle attachment on low speed until the dough comes together.
Switch to the dough hook and knead the dough for 10 minutes. With a spatula, scrape the dough from the bottom of the bowl to the top.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rest 5 minutes. Remove the cover and continue to knead the dough with the dough hook for 10 minutes. This procedure helps the dough to develop the gluten that bagels need.
Oil a bowl and place the dough in the bowl, turning it several times to coat in the oil. Cover and let rise, about 2 hours.
Place the dough on a floured board. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. I use a scale to measure.
On the floured board gently roll the one piece of sough into an 8 inch length and join the ends together to form a ring. Place on a floured kitchen towel. Repeat until all the bagels are formed. Let rise for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Fill a Dutch Oven or other large pot three-quarters of the way with water. Add 1 tablespoon brown sugar and bring to a boil.
Place 3 bagels in the boiling water and let cook for one minute. With a spider or large spoon turn the bagels over in the water and cook for one minute. Remove the bagels to a dry kitchen towel.
Repeat this procedure for the remaining babels.
Top some of the bagels with an everything bagel topping, if desired.
Place the boiled bagels on parchment lined cookie sheets Six bagels to a sheet.
Bake for about 25-30 minutes until golden brown, rotating the pans after half the baking time has elapsed. Remove the pans from the oven and place the bagels on a cooling rack.
Bagels freeze well, so I store them there and defrost them overnight when I want to serve the,
Some great toppings for your homemade bagels:
Cream cheese with chives and scallions. Add slices of cucumber for a lunch treat.
Cream cheese, slices of smoked salmon and slices of red onion.
Eggs Over Easy with slices of cheese and cooked bacon.
Tuna or Turkey Melt
What is your favorite bagel topping?
Onebadcookie
We are (were) Brooklynites so we know bagels. Like you, we have not had or seen a truly good bagel like we grew up feasting on. Crusty outside, chewy inside. I have taken a liking to bagels with Jalepeno and Cheddar cheese baked in from Whole Foods. Not traditional but not bad with ham or salami. I feel like i’m commiting a crime when eating it! Still searching for the original. Nothing beats smoked salmon, cream cheese and red onion on a crusty chewy NY bagel.
Our Growing Paynes
We’re lucky to get somewhat decent bagels downtown but it is really hard to beat homemade. Nicely done.
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Marisa Franca @ All Our Way
We make our own bagels too! We just can’t find the nice chewy ones we prefer in a store. Yours look great, Jovina. We don’t make the savory ones — we’ll have to follow your recipe and make some. Have a great day.
Jovina Coughlin
Oh yes chewy is what I was after. that is a bagel to me. Thanks Marisa.