New York Style Bagels

I love these New York Style Bagels!  Before “sheltering in place,” I had never considered making my own bagels before, but I’m so glad I tried it.  This recipe was inspired by the bagels my husband and I ate during an unexpected layover in Montreal, on our honeymoon to France.

These bagels have a shiny exterior and a perfect chewy interior.  My husband adored these bagels and has asked for them multiple times since testing the recipe.  If you’re looking for a fun weekend project, give these bagels a try.  You won’t be disappointed!

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Ingredients for a Sponge Dough Starter

• ½ tsp (1.6g) instant yeast
• 1 cup + 2 Tbsp (265.5g) room temperature water (approximately 75°F/24°C)
• 1½ cups (234g) bread flour

Making the Sponge Dough Starter

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In the bowl of your stand mixer, use the whisk attachment to combine the yeast, water, and flour. 

Mix for approximately 2 minutes until the mixture is smooth.  Use a silicone spatula or bench scraper to scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to sit at room temperature for one to four hours.  The longer the sponge sits, the more flavor it develops.  You can also place the sponge in the fridge for up 24 hours.  This will give the sponge more of an acidic/“sour dough” flavor. 

Ingredients for New York Style Bagels

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• 1 cup (156g) bread flour (i.e., larger amount)
• 3 Tbsp (26g) bread flour (i.e., smaller amount)
• ½ tsp (1.6g) instant yeast
• 1½ tsp (10.5g) barley malt syrup¹
• 1½ tsp (6.2g) granulated sugar
• 1½ tsp (10.5g) salt
• 1½ Tbsp (21g) unsalted butter, room temperature

Making the Bagel Dough

Whisk together the larger amount of bread flour, yeast, malt syrup, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. 

Sprinkle the mixture over the sponge.  Do not stir.  The layer of dry ingredients will protect the sponge from drying out while it goes through fermentation.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1 to 4 hours.  Again, the longer the dough ferments, the more flavor the dough will have. 

It is likely the sponge will bubble through the flour layer as it ferments.  This is expected. 

Next, add the butter to the stand mixer bowl and 1 Tbsp (9g) of the remaining flour (i.e., part of the “smaller amount”). 

Mix these ingredients on low speed (i.e., #2 on a KitchenAid) using the dough hook attachment until the flour is moistened (approximately 1 minute). 

Increase the speed to medium (#4 on a KitchenAid) and knead for 5-7 minutes.  If the dough does not pull away by the end of the kneading time or if the dough still feels a little tacky/sticky, add the remaining flour. 

The dough should be smooth and elastic.  It should spring back immediately when gently pressed with your finger.     

Proofing the Bagel Dough

Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough into the container.  Lightly oil the top of the dough ball (this will keep the dough from sticking to the plastic wrap if it rises to the top of the bowl), cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise at room temperature (approximately 75-80°F/24-27°C) until it has doubled in volume.  This should take approximately 1-2 hours.

Remove the plastic wrap, and firmly push down on the dough to deflate it. 

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Give the dough a letter turn (i.e., imagine you are folding a letter in thirds to put into an envelope) and place it back in the bowl. 

Again, lightly oil the top of the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 4 – 12 hours.  The longer the dough rests, the more flavor it will have. 

Let the dough come to room temperature for 30 minutes before continuing with the shaping steps.

Bagel Shaping Preparation

Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and set to the side.  I like using a baking sheet because it’s easier to move the bagels after shaping (as opposed to just setting them on a sheet of parchment paper or a towel).

Tip out the dough onto an unfloured counter.  This will make it easier to shape the bagels because the dough can “grip” the counter.  If the counter is floured, the dough will slide without gripping and this will make shaping much more difficult.

Cut the dough into 5 equal pieces.  They should weigh approximately 144g each.  Set the dough on the parchment paper without the pieces touching and cover with a piece of lightly oiled plastic wrap.  Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes.  Begin shaping the dough one piece at a time.  Cover any dough that is not being actively shaped with oiled plastic wrap to ensure it does not dry out. 

Shaping the New York Style Bagels – 2 methods

Method 1 (Ball and Poke)

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Set one dough piece on the counter and pull all sides of the dough into the middle. 

Pinch the dough together to form a ball and then place the ball upside down (i.e., seam-side down) on the counter. 

Poke your index finger all the way through the dough ball.  Try to poke in the middle of the ball so all sides of the bagel are equal in size (unlike what I did in my picture). 

Use your fingers to stretch the hole while rotating the bagel in a circle.  The goal will be to have a 2.5-inch hole. 

If you like a very thick bagel without much of a hole in the middle, you might want to make the hole a little smaller.  If you like to have a flatter bagel with a large hole in the center, you might want to make the hole a little larger. 

Set the shaped bagel on the baking sheet and continue shaping the remaining bagels. 

Method 2 (Rope and Roll)

Set one dough piece on the unfloured counter (this is essential for this method) and roll into a 12-inch rope. 

Overlap the ends to make a ring and press down firmly on the join while rolling. 

Make sure the edges form one piece otherwise, the bagel will split at the seam while it bakes (see the picture below for what to avoid). 

Resting Dough and Preheating Oven

After shaping all of the bagels, allow them to rise for 15 minutes under the lightly oiled plastic wrap. 

While the bagels are rising, place a baking stone, baking steel, or empty baking sheet on the lowest rack of the oven.  Then, preheat the oven to 500°F/260°C.  

Ingredients for Water Bath

• 2 Tbsp (42g) of malt syrup, molasses, or honey (for a Montreal bagel version)²
• 1 tsp (4.8g) baking soda

Boiling the Bagels

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.  Then add the malt syrup and baking soda, stirring until dissolved. 

Transfer the bagels, one at a time, to the pot.  Be careful not to burn yourself or overcrowd the pan.  They should be able to sit next to each other without touching.  This means that you might only be able to cook 2-3 at a time. 

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Boil the bagels for 1-2 minutes on each side.  Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to gently flip them. 

Remove the bagels from the pot using the slotted spoon (this will remove excess water) and set them back onto the parchment paper to drain for 30 seconds to a minute.  If the bagels rest for longer than 1 minute, it is likely they will stick.  Move the drained bagels to another baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 

Ingredients for Glaze and Toppings

• 2 large (60g) egg whites
• 1 tsp (5g) cold water
• 3-4 Tbsp of preferred topping (e.g., poppy seeds and sesame seeds)

Adding Glaze and Toppings

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg whites and water. 

Use a pastry brush to cover each bagel with the egg white glaze.  Avoid letting the egg white drip down the side of the bagel to the parchment paper.  The egg white will act like glue and it will be difficult to remove the bagels after baking.  The egg white glaze will allow the bagels to get a beautiful golden brown while baking.

Add a second layer of the glaze and sprinkle your preferred toppings.  My husband’s favorite bagel topping is poppy seed and I like sesame seed (although my favorite bagels are cinnamon raisin).  Try to avoid getting a lot of seeds on the baking sheet since they have a tendency to burn while baking. 

Baking the New York Style Bagels

Once the bagels are topped, place the baking sheet onto the hot baking stone/steel/sheet.  Bake for 5 minutes and then drop the oven temperature to 450°F/232°C.  Continue baking for 20 minutes.  Then, turn the oven off, without opening the oven door, and let the bagels continue cooking for 5 minutes.  Prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon between the door and the oven frame for 5 more minutes. 

Cooling the New York Style Bagels

Remove the bagels from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Don’t cut into the bagels before they have cooled completely.  They will have a gummy texture. 

These bagels are best the day they are made, but you can wrap them in plastic wrap, place in freezer bags, and freeze for up to 1 month.  Thaw the bagel to room temperature when ready to eat it. 

These New York Style Bagels were absolutely delicious.  They were chewy and SOOO much better than the bagels that you can buy at the grocery store.  There are quite a few steps to this recipe, but I promise you, it is worth it. 

My husband and I got creative with our bagel toppings.  I put plain cream cheese with green onions and bacon and my husband used plain cream cheese, tomatoes, lox (i.e., brined salmon), green onions, and roasted garlic paste.  Our breakfast tasted so good!!  What is your favorite way to eat bagels?  Do you prefer sweet or savory toppings? 

Looking for more Breakfast Ideas:

• Classic Pancakes
• Buttermilk Waffles
• Cinnamon Honey Scones

More Homemade Bread Recipes:

Notes

1. You could also use 1½ tsp (4.7g) malt powder in place of the malt syrup.  It’s unlikely you will find these ingredients in typical grocery stores.  I found the syrup and the powder at a local home beer brewing supply store. (Back to “Bagel Ingredients” section)
2. If you don’t have any of these ingredients, you can use ¼ cup (50g) of granulated sugar. (Back to “Water Bath Ingredients” section)
3. This recipe was adapted from “Levy’s Bagels” in Rose Levy Beranbaum’s The Bread Bible.