PRO LEVEL BAGELS AT HOME (feat. actual bagel man)

bread flour

🥗Healthier: whole wheat flour

💰Cheaper: all-purpose flour

Whole wheat flour adds fiber and nutrients.

malt syrup

🥗Healthier: honey

💰Cheaper: brown sugar

Honey provides sweetness and moisture.

egg

🥗Healthier: flax egg

💰Cheaper: none

Flax egg is a vegan alternative.

poppy seeds

🥗Healthier: chia seeds

💰Cheaper: none

Chia seeds provide similar texture and nutrition.

Grab a high sided container and measure 150 grams of room temperature water.

Add a small pinch of instant yeast (about 0.25 teaspoons) into the water.

Measure 225 grams of bread flour and add it to the container.

Stir everything together with a sturdy spoon to combine into a thick paste called a biga.

Cover the container with a lid and let it ferment on the counter for 12 to 24 hours.

The next morning, check the biga; it should be gassed up and active.

In a medium bowl, measure 380 grams of warm water.

Tear the biga into pieces and add it to the warm water.

Add 3 grams of instant yeast to the bowl.

Measure 715 grams of bread flour and add it to the bowl.

Add 10 grams of diastatic malt powder (optional) and 20 grams of salt.

Stir everything together with a sturdy spoon until combined; the dough will be dry and powdery.

Switch to a soaking wet hand to mix by squeezing and folding the dough in the bowl.

After about a minute, start kneading the dough in the bowl until it resembles a dough ball.

Flip the dough out onto a cutting board and knead by hand for at least 10 minutes.

If the dough sticks, add a touch more flour while kneading.

After 10 to 12 minutes of kneading, perform the window pane test to check gluten development.

If the dough passes the window pane test, round it off and place it back in the bowl for bulk fermentation.

Cover the bowl and let it rest for one hour; the dough should not rise much.

Flip the dough out onto a cutting board and divide it into 12 pieces, each weighing 125 grams.

Degas each piece of dough and fold it back towards you three times until it resembles a small cigar.

Roll each piece into a roughly 10-inch long tube with minimal tapering on the ends.

To shape the bagels, lay one end of the tube across your fingers, wrap it around your hand tightly, and overlap the ends by about three inches.

Squeeze the ends together firmly and roll it on the table to seal.

Shape the bagel into a circle and move it to a sheet tray.

Wrap the shaped bagels with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 to 48 hours for cold rising.

Preheat the oven to 475°F (245°C) and set up a rack on the lower level with a pizza steel on top.

Prepare cedar boards for baking by cutting them to fit the pizza steel.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens