Yeast Breads: Basic Bagels

Bagels are delicious. Full stop. I can eat bagels of any kind. New York, Montreal, Chicago, bagels are excellent no matter where you are. They're all a little different, and replicating any one of them can take a lot of experimentation. But if you're looking for just a basic, simple bagel, you can actually do that at home. But let's not pretend you'll end up with a Montreal Bagel using this recipe.


You can use any bread dough to start. Because this is a basic recipe, we'll use a basic dough.


Ingredients


1 recipe for Basic White Bread
4 cups water
3 tbsp honey


Preparation


Prepare the white bread recipe as directed until after the first rise. Now is when we'll start making bagels. Divide the dough into 12 portions so you can make 12 bagels. Take one portion and shape it into a smooth ball. Press your fingers through the center of the ball and stretch to form a bagel. You'll want to make sure the hole is a little larger then you want because the dough will rise and puff.


Heat oven to 350°F. Let the shaped dough sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Bring the water to a roiling boil in a medium pot. Add honey and stir until honey has dissolved in the water. Two at a time, immerse the bagels in the water. Boil for at least 1 minute. The longer you boil them, the chewier the finished bagels will be. Do not boil for longer than 4 minutes.


Remove from water with a slotted spoon and place on a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining bagels. Bake for 20 minutes, until bagels are golden brown. Enjoy hot or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.


Makes 12 bagels.