These Homemade Bagels Will Make You the Hero of Your Friend Group (2024)

FAQs

What makes bagels unique? ›

But what sets it apart from other bread is its unique texture and flavor, which comes from its special preparation process. Bagels are first boiled in water (sometimes with malt syrup or honey added) before being baked, resulting in a crisp and shiny crust that encases a dense and chewy interior.

Bagels are boiled in water before they are baked, which gives them a chewiness that distinguishes them from ordinary bread.

When too much flour is kneaded in, bagels become dense, hard and tough, instead of crisp and chewy. It can easily take 10 minutes of mixing and kneading before the right texture and gluten strength is achieved. This is what the inside of a well-made bagel should look like.

Bagels are the only bread that is boiled before being baked. They are dipped in boiling water for approximately 3-5 minutes before going into the oven. Bagel making was once a four-man job: Two people would make the dough, giving bagels their shape; one person boiled them, and the fourth person baked them.

That crust should give way to a crumb that's dense and chewy, but tender and easy to bite through. A bagel should not ooze cream cheese from its center when you take a bite, any more than a cheeseburger should slide out the back when you clamp down on its bun. These are the qualities that great bagel-makers strive for.

It sets the outer layer of the dough, giving the bagel its distinctive chewiness. The boiling process gelatinizes the starches on the surface, creating a glossy, crackly crust during baking. Additionally, boiling gives the bagel its characteristic dense interior while maintaining a tender crumb.

a regular bagel is the water you boil them in. Much like a specific vineyard terroir is used to make a wine, certain minerals in New York City tap water are attributed to creating the best bagels. These include low concentrations of calcium and magnesium and a high level of sediment.

Bagels are created in 17th century Poland as a response to anti-Semitic laws preventing Polish Jews from baking bread. Jewish bakers circumvented these restrictions by boiling the dough before baking it.

Some varieties of bagels are made from whole grains. Whole grains are high in dietary fiber and antioxidants. They have been found to offer some protection against diabetes, cancer, and obesity. Whole grains also have B vitamins, iron, selenium, and magnesium.

Eating refined carbohydrates like bagels may stimulate brain regions involved in reward and cravings, research suggests. Fresh research adds weight to the notion that certain foods (think empty carbs like bagels and sweet treats) can lead to more intense hunger and overeating.

What happens if you boil bagels too long? ›

A brief boil gives bagels a thin and fairly elastic crust that will still allow the bagels rise quite a bit in the oven, resulting in a softer texture. A longer boil and a thicker crust prevents the bagel from rising very much at all, giving you a very dense interior.

Bread flour – Because of its high protein content, bread flour makes these homemade bagels delightfully chewy. This recipe also works with all-purpose flour, they're just a bit less chewy than bagels made with bread flour. Maple syrup – It activates the yeast and gives the bagels a hint of sweetness.

When it sinks like a rock, your dough is too dense, and it needs to rise a bit more before you boil. After you've boiled, you'll brush with the egg wash. and top with your toppings and then bake.

When it comes to bread, bagels are in a class of their own. Little about their appearance, texture, or how they are made resembles other breads. Their unique shape; tight, fine crumb; chewy texture, and glossy, pleasantly leathery crust set them apart.

The main difference between typical bread loaves and bagels is the baking method. Most bread types are baked in an oven after the dough has risen, whereas bagels are boiled before being baked in an oven. Compared to other bread types, bagels typically have a chewier inner texture with a crunchy outer layer.

A New York–style bagel is always boiled in water that has had barley malt added, which gives a bagel its signature taste, texture, and leathery skin.

The Lineage of the Bagel

The first written mention of the bagel occurs in the city regulations of Krakow, Poland in 1610. These regulations specified that women were to be given gifts of bagels after childbirth. The bagel's circular shape supposedly symbolized a long life to come.