Bagel recipe

Although good bagels tend to be readily available from grocery store bakeries, nothing beats homemade. This simple bagel recipe makes a nice project for a day off and yields 18 bagels, so you can enjoy some fresh and freeze the rest for convenience food.

Recipe ingredients:

2 packages active dry yeast or 2 Tablespoons

2 cups warm water

3 teaspoons salt

3 Tablespoons sugar

5-1/2 to 6 cups all purpose flour

3 quarts water with 1 Tablespoon sugar added

Small quantity of cornmeal

1 egg yolk

1 Tablespoon water

Start the yeast dissolving in a large bowl by adding it to the 2 cups of warm water. Let it stand for about 10 minutes. You want it to be bubbly. Now stir in the salt and 3 Tablespoons sugar. Gradually you will add 4 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth. If you do not have a bread dough mixer, use your hand or a large spoon to work the batter.

Add another cup of flour. At this point the batter will become a stiff dough. Flour your counter or board and dump the dough out of the bowl onto it. Knead the dough until it becomes smooth and stretchy. Bagel dough requires a lot of kneading to create its dense even texture. Knead for about 15 minutes. This will be a good arm workout. Add flour as you knead to alleviate stickiness.

Like any bread dough, you will place the bagel dough in an oiled bowl, flip it over, cover loosely and allow to rise until double (about 1 hour depending on the temperature of your home). After rising, punch down the dough. Knead it a little bit more on the floured counter and then cut the dough into 18 equal portions.

To make the bagels, knead each small piece of dough a few times and form it into a ball. Hold the ball with both hands and poke your thumb through the center. Keeping your thumb through the dough, shape the ball all the way around until it looks like a bagel. The bagel will be about 2-1/2 to 3 inches across. Set the bagels on a lightly floured surface, cover loosely, and allow to stand for 20 or 30 minutes.

Bring the 3 quarts of water and 1 Tablespoon of sugar to a boil in a large pot. Prepare a large baking sheet or two small ones by greasing it and dusting with cornmeal. Gently add the bagels to the boiling water. Adjust the heat to keep the boil gentle instead of vigorous. You will be able to boil about 5 or 6 bagels at a time. Boil them 5 minutes, turning often. Remove with a slotted spoon and place them on a towel to dry a little. Then transfer the boiled bagels to the baking sheet. Beat the egg yolk with the Tablespoon of water and brush the egg onto the bagels. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in a 400 degree F oven until browned.

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