New York Style Bagels

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 5 bagels

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.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for 1-4 hours. The longer the sponge sits, the more flavor it develops.
Optional: Place the sponge in the fridge for up to 24 hours for more of an acidic/"sour dough" flavor.

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 using the dough hook attachment until the flour is moistened (approximately 1 minute).
Increase the speed to medium 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.

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.
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.

Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and set to the side.
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 , making shaping 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.

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.
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, make the hole a little smaller. If you like to have a flatter bagel with a large hole in the center, make the hole a little larger.
Set the shaped bagel on the baking sheet and continue shaping the remaining bagels.

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.

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.

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.
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.

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 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. Try to avoid getting a lot of seeds on the baking sheet since they have a tendency to burn while baking.

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.
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.