- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 2 3/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 4 cups flour, leveled
- 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- non-stick spray or olive oil
- egg wash: 1egg white and 1 tablespoon water, beaten
- 2 quarts water
- 1/4 cup honey
What to do:
- Whisk the warm water and yeast together in your stand mixer. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Add the flour, brown sugar, and salt to the warm water and yeast. With the dough hook, beat on low for about 2 minutes. The dough will be dry. (The mixer cannot handle this dough much more than 2 minutes since it is so dense.)
- Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface; knead for five minutes.
- Lightly grease a large bowl, and place the dough in the bowl. Roll the dough ball around in the bowl so that it is coated with oil; cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise at room temperature for 90 minutes (doubled in size). (You can let the bagel dough rise overnight in the fridge for even better bagels. Once you have placed the dough in the greased bowl, cover it and set in the fridge. The next day remove the dough from the fridge and allow to rise for 45 minutes at room temperature.)
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down to release any air bubbles. Divide the dough into equal pieces; I made 10 bagels. They are smaller than regular Long Island bagels, but less guilt inducing. Shape each piece into a ball. Push your thumb through the center of each ball and pull so that you have about a 1 1/2 " hole. Place the bagels on the parchment lined baking sheets, cover with a clean kitchen towel and prepare your water bath.
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Fill a large pot with 2 quarts of water and the honey, stir until the honey is dissolved. Bring the water to a boil, and then drop bagels in, a few at a time. Allow the bagels to cook for one minute on each side, remove, and place back on the lined baking sheet. Continue with the remainder of the bagels.
- Brush each bagel with the egg wash, and if you are topping with anything, now is the time. Sprinkle your chosen topping onto each bagel and place back on the lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating halfway through. Your bagels will have a golden brown color to them when they are done. Transfer the bagels to a cooling rack once you remove them from the oven.
- I always slice my bagels and freeze them. They last for quite a while in the freezer, and they are easy to put right into the toaster if they are already sliced. Of course, they are the best right out of the oven!