Homemade Bagels

Homemade bagels are chewy inside with a slight crust, made from a stiff dough that gets boiled before baking. The boiling step sets the crust and keeps the inside tender, giving you a bagel that holds its shape and has that authentic chew.

Ingredients for Homemade Bagels

All-purpose flour builds the structure that holds the bagel’s shape. Water hydrates the dough and helps develop the gluten. Instant yeast makes the dough rise and adds flavor. Salt controls fermentation and strengthens the dough. Honey feeds the yeast and adds subtle sweetness. Baking soda in the boiling water raises the pH so the bagels brown and set their crust properly.

Why This Homemade Bagels Works

The dough is mixed stiff and kneaded well, which builds enough gluten to create that dense, chewy crumb bagels need. A long, slow rise at room temperature develops flavor and lets the dough relax so it shapes easily without springing back.

Boiling each bagel in baking soda water is the key step. The heat and alkaline water gelatinize the starch on the outside, which sets a light crust and seals the surface so steam cannot escape during baking. This keeps the inside tender and chewy instead of dry and crumbly.

A hot oven finishes the bagels quickly, browning the crust without drying out the center. The result is a bagel with a crisp exterior and a soft, chewy inside.

Mistakes To Avoid

Skipping the freezing step before boiling causes bagels to lose their shape and spread flat. The dough is too warm and loose to hold up in hot water. They come out puffy instead of dense.

Boiling too long makes bagels gummy and tough with a thick, rubbery crust. The dough absorbs too much water and the starch becomes overdone. The inside becomes dense and chewy in a bad way, not tender.

Using an oven that is too cool slows browning and lets the bagel dry out before the crust sets. The crust stays pale and thin, and the inside loses its moisture. The bagel tastes stale even when fresh.

Shaping bagels too loosely or not sealing the seam properly causes them to come open during boiling. The dough falls apart in the water or splits into pieces. You end up with bagel halves instead of whole rounds.

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Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (420g)
• 1 1/4 cups water, room temperature
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon baking soda

Step-by-step Instructions

1. Mix flour, water, yeast, salt, and honey in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook on low speed for 2 minutes until shaggy, then medium speed for 6 to 8 minutes until the dough is stiff and smooth.
2. Turn dough onto a clean counter and knead by hand for 2 minutes until it feels elastic and does not stick to your hands.
3. Let dough rise at room temperature for 2 hours until it increases by half in size and springs back slowly when you poke it.
4. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces, roughly 100g each, and roll each piece into a tight ball.
5. Poke a hole through the center of each ball with your thumb, then stretch the hole until the bagel is a 4-inch ring with a 1 1/2-inch hole in the middle, keeping the thickness even.
6. Place bagels on parchment paper and freeze uncovered for 2 hours or up to overnight.
7. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and stir in baking soda, then reduce heat so the water holds a gentle boil at around 200°F (93°C).
8. Working in batches of 2 or 3, lower frozen bagels into the water with a slotted spoon and boil for 1 minute per side, then lift out and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment.
9. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) with a sheet pan inside for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer bagels onto the hot pan.
10. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the crust is golden brown and sounds hollow when you tap it on the bottom, then cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before slicing.