Homemade Bagels

Okay don’t get mad at us, but this past weekend we stopped by the Carnegie Library and stumbled upon this…

Oops, sorry we meant this one…

That’s right, we wanted to find a baking cookbook with easy recipes we could try with our new Kitchen Aid stand mixer. So of course we picked the “easiest” one out – bagels. Now you might be thinking we’ve gone a little too far here for this blog (and we agree) but we haven’t posted a really challenging recipe in awhile and thought it was time.

The recipe itself is not hard, but the labor to roll the dough is, especially if you don’t have a mixer. But if you are adventurous and want to make a dozen delicious homemade bagels all for around $4, then this post if for you! Now you can still make bagels without the help of a stand mixer so don’t be discouraged. We’ve adapted the recipe for those without one. But first, here is a good tutorial on kneading dough to help you out:

Homemade Bagels

Print this recipe!

Move over Einstein Brother’s Bagels, you have two other nerds to contend with now.

Servings – 1 dozen bagels
Prep time – 2 hours (1 hour 15 minutes inactive)
Cook time – 40 minutes

Ingredients

2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 1/2 cups water
2 packages (5 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs at room temperature
7 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 large egg, beaten
Sesame or poppy seeds (optional)

Protocol

1. In a saucepan, boil the cubed potatoes in the water until tender (about 10 minutes). Measure out 2 cups of this water and add to a large mixing bowl. (You can discard the potatoes if you want, or make mashed potatoes like us!)

2. Once the water has cooled to a warm 110ºF, mix in the yeast and let dissolve. Set it aside until it becomes foamy (about 5 minutes).

3. Add in the oil and eggs and whisk to combine.

4. Whisk in 2 cups of the flour and salt until smooth (about 2 minutes).

5. Stir in remaining flour (5.5 more cups in about 1 cup batches) with a large wooden spoon until a soft dough is formed.

6. Scrap out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough until smooth and elastic (about 5 to 7 minutes).

7. Form the dough into a ball and place in a well oiled bowl. Set aside in a warm draft free spot until it doubles in size (about 1 hour).

8. Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Slice into quarters and take each quarter and cut into thirds.

9. With your fingers and palms, roll out the pieces into 10 inch long ropes, 1 inch in diameter.

10. Flatten one end and dabble just a bit of water. Bring the other end towards it to form a circle and pinch together.

11. Set aside all of the bagels on a lightly floured surface and let them rest for 15 minutes.

12. Position your oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425ºF. Grab 2 baking sheets and line with parchment paper and lightly oil the paper.

13. Fill a large wide pot 3/4 of the way with water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to maintain a gentle boil.

14. Using a large slotted spoon, gently lower 3 bagels into the water and simmer for 1 minute. Flip the bagels over and simmer for another minute. Spoon out the bagels onto the parchment paper and repeat with remaining batches.