Authentic New York-style Bagels
This New York style bagel recipe is super easy to make and well worth the effort! Crispy on the outside, just like your favorite NY deli, but made in your own kitchen. These are the real deal and completely doable! Instructions for same day baking or, for best flavor, overnight bagels.
Servings: 8 bagels
Calories: 306kcal
Equipment
- baking sheets
- Large shallow pot (deep enough for at least 3 or 4 bagels to float in water.)
- Slotted spoon helpful to remove bagels from boiling water.
Ingredients
For The Dough:
- 4 1/3 cups bread flour*
- 1 teaspoon dry yeast (overnight bagels) (1 tablespoon for same-day bagels)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons honey, molasses, or barley malt syrup. updated from brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/3 cups warm water (overnight bagels) (add 3.5 tablespoons of water per batch for same day bagels)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten (*optional*) OPTIONAL, 1. to 1.5 tablespoons (increases the protein content of flour) (use this gluten calculator to figure out how much you need)
For the kettle water:
- water (just use enough to allow at least 3 or 4 bagels to float without touching bottom of pan)
- brown sugar, honey, or barley malt syrup** (enough to tint water golden color; can also simply use plain water)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For baking:
- cornmeal enough to dust baking sheets
OPTIONAL "everything bagel topping" (or purchase already mixed)***:
- 2 tbsp Sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp Poppy seeds
- 1 tbsp Dried minced onion
- 2 tsp Dried minced garlic
- 1 tsp Coarse salt
Instructions
To Mix the Dough:
- Add all dry ingredients to a medium sized bowl or in the bowl of a standing mixer and blend.
- Note: Please see directions on your brand of yeast. If it requires activation by adding water and/or sugar, use some from the amounts stated in the recipe. RedStar/SAF (instant or active yeast) does NOT require activation but Fleishman's active dry yeast does.
- Add wet ingredients (oil, honey/barley malt syrup/molasses, water) to dry ingredients and knead until dough in smooth (10 to 12 minutes in mixer or as long as needed by hand; may also knead in food processor for up to 90 seconds and finish by hand kneading if needed). If using food processor, you may need to split dough into two batches depending on size of appliance.
- Do a window pane test: take a small walnut-sized piece of dough and try to stretch it out very thinly until it is almost "transparent" - this suggests your dough has been kneaded enough. This may not be easy to obtain perfectly. Just do your best.
- Rest the dough for 10 minutes and then divide into eight pieces (if weighing about 115 grams or 4 ounces for each bagel). This is a low-hydration dough - you MUST keep the dough covered at all times.
- Shape dough pieces into balls by rolling on countertop using slight pressure from palm of your hand, and then let the balls rest on counter for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, sprinkle with cornmeal, and set aside.
- Poke hole in center of each balls with your index finger and form into bagels by gently stretching the hole out to about 2 inches in width, and then place on prepared baking sheet.
For Same Day Baking
- Cover bagels with plastic wrap (spray tops of bagels or bottom of wrap so it doesn't stick to bagels) and let bagels rise for about 20 minutes in warmer weather or 30 minutes in cooler kitchens. (Float test: Bagels are ready for boil and bake if they float in a bowl of water.)
For Next Day Baking
- Spray top of bagels with cooking spray and top with plastic wrap, place in the refrigerator, and then proceed the next day by following "To Boil and Bake Bagels" section below. No need to bring bagels to room temperature after refrigerating. (Float test: Bagels are ready for boil and bake if they float in a bowl of water.)
To Boil and Bake the Bagels
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees (Do NOT use convection)
- In the meantime, bring kettle water to a boil in a large flat pan with deep sides (saute pan or broiler pan). Remember to do the float test (bagels are ready for boiling once they float in a bowl of water, and not sink to the bottom; you'll only need to test one.)
- When water is boiling, add bagels to water (enough to fit without crowding) and boil bagels for about 30 to 45 seconds and then flip them over and boil for another 30 to 45 seconds on the other side. (You can boil for up to 2 minutes per side but note that the bagels may be more apt to deflate during a longer boil or if they are slightly overproofed.)
- Drain bagels using slotted spoon and place onto a baking sheet that has been dusted with cornmeal.
- If desired, top with your favorite bagel topping (ie, everything seasoning) or leave them plain.
- Place bagels into the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden (begin checking bagels at about 13 minutes). You can use parchment or silicone baking mat but I've often also used simply cornmeal dusted plain baking sheet.
Storage
- Bagels are best enjoyed the same day as baking. For leftovers, slice and freeze in airtight bag.
To Make the Everything Topping
- Mix all ingredients together and store extra in plastic bag.
Notes
*may use all purpose flour but remove/subtract about 2 tablespoon water from dough recipe.
**barley malt syrup may be found at most health food stores that sell grocery items
***this makes about 1/2 cup of topping.
SAME DAY VERSION: increase water to ~354 grams/1.5 cups and increase instant yeast to 1 tablespoon. After shaping, rise at room temp for about 20 minutes (warmer kitchen) or 30 minutes (cooler kitchen) and then proceed with step 9.
STORAGE: Baked bagels keep for 1 day at room temperature when stored in a paper bag. After 1 day, slice bagels and freeze them in plastic bags for up to one month. Thaw or toast bagels after freezing.
BAKERS PERCENT: Bread flour* 100%, water 55.6%, instant yeast 0.7%, oil 2.6%, sugar 2.4%, salt 2.2%, vital wheat gluten 2.8% (optional), barley malt syrup 2.6% (or same amount of honey or molasses) *For all-purpose flour, reduce water to 54.6% (for same day bagels, increase water to 65% and yeast to 2.1%); dough needed for each bagel = 115 grams or 4 ounces.
Dough hydration: The overnight bagel recipe features a low-hydration dough, with a water content of approximately 55% to 56%. This type of dough can be challenging to handle, especially for those new to baking. For beginners or those not using a kitchen scale, I recommend opting for the same-day recipe. The same-day dough has a higher water content (65%, similar to pizza dough), making it more forgiving and easier to work with, particularly because it's easy to inadvertently add too much flour when measurements are not precise.
More tips to make bagels:
- Use a good quality flour; I always try to use bread flour but you can also use a good all-purpose flour (make sure it has at least 4 grams protein per serving on nutrition label)
- Consider using vital wheat gluten, which is widely available in supermarkets. Vital wheat gluten will increase the protein content of the flour and give you such a beautiful crisp and chew.
- Make sure you knead the dough well; usually this dough is hand kneaded because it is a pretty tough to knead using conventional mixers. (This recipe is a bit easier to mix than other traditional doughs because it has a bit more water in it).
- When you get to the boiling stage, make sure your kettle/water bath is deep enough for the bagels to float in and replenish the water if it boils off too much for second batch (assuming you are boiling 3 or 4 at a time).
- Make sure the kettle water reaches a rolling boil, otherwise, the bagels will not puff up a lot during this stage.
- If the water isn't deep enough in the boiling pan, the bagels can stick to the bottom of the pan.
- You can boil the bagels for 30 t0 45 seconds (up to 2 minutes) on each side; taking care to flip them over gently. If the bagels deflate in the water, they proofed too long (risen too much) or were boiled for too long.
- The longer boiling time will give you a thicker crust and shorter times result in thinner crust. To begin, use the shorter boiling times listed.
- Egg wash is NOT needed; the kettle bath gives these bagels a nice shiny finish (using convection setting will blow bagels dry and decrease shine).
- I sometimes use parchment or silicone baking sheets to prevent over browning on the bottom of bagels.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 306kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 1049mg | Potassium: 126mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 1mg