QUINTESSENTIALLY NEW YORK: HOME-BAKED BAGELS
Not much is more authentic to New York City than Bagels. The New York Times once even proclaimed New York City to be “bagel center of the world.” And in recent years, endless varieties of Bagels have appeared, but if you want to discover a REAL bagel, you need to look no farther than New York.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 1⁄2 cups water
- 2 packages yeast
- 1 1⁄2 ounces sugar (you need a kitchen scale for this)
- 1⁄2 ounce salt (you need a kitchen scale for this)
- 3 1⁄2 cups bread flour
- 2 quarts water, to boil
- 1 egg white
- cinnamon (optional)
- raisins (optional)
- poppy seed (optional)
- dried onion or garlic (optional)
- sesame seeds (Optional)
DIRECTIONS:
- Mix yeast, sugar and warm water together and let stand 3 minutes.
- Mix 2 cups of flour with the salt in a large bowl and add the yeast mixture.
- Stir until combined and slowly mix in the rest of the flour (If making cinnamon raisin bagels, add these to dough now).
- Knead on a floured surface for 5 minutes, adding additional flour if needed, dough should be firm.
- Place dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rise until double.
- After rising punch down and divide dough into 12 balls.
- Allow to rest for 4 minutes.
- Bring 2 quarts of water to boil.
- With your thumb, make a hole in each ball of dough and pull open about 2 inches, making a bagel shape.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place the shaped dough onto a cookie sheet and cover for 10 minutes.
- Lower heat under water for it to be simmering.
- Drop 2 or 3 bagels at a time into the water for about 45 seconds, turning each once.
- Drain and place on greased baking sheets.
- Brush tops with beaten egg white and top with optional toppings.
- Bake for 35 minutes, turning once for even browning.
- Bagels are done when they are golden brown and shiny.
