Easy Homemade Bagels
My family loves bagels. They seem to cost a lot more than I’m willing to pay at the grocery, almost $4.00 a pack, and you can even pay up to $3.00 for a freshly made one at a bakery. They are so easy to make and cost less to make them at home, and I think they taste better. I used a recipe that uses the bread machine to make the dough. This made the whole bagel making process easier for me and took less of my time. If you do not have a bread machine, you may want to try a different recipe. Here’s the recipe I tried and my family really enjoyed them.
Easy Bread Machine Bagels
Dough Ingredients
1 1/8 cups lukewarm water
3 1/2 cups bread flour
3 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast or 1 packet
1 tablespoon white sugar
Egg Wash Ingredients
1 egg, mixed with 2 tablespoons water
poppy seeds, optional
sesame seeds, optional
Directions
Measure the first five ingredients into the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select the dough setting. When the cycle is complete, remove the dough from the machine and place on a floured surface. Divide the dough into ten equal parts. Form into balls, gently press thumb through center of the ball and slowly stretch into bagel shape. Place on a greased baking sheet, cover with a kitchen towel and set in a warm place to rise for 30 to 40 minutes. Bring three quarts water and one tablespoon sugar to a rapid boil in a large saucepan. Use a slotted spoon to drop 2-3 bagels into the rapidly boiling water. Boil on both sides for one to two minutes each. Remove and cool on a wire rack for 1 minute. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds, if you desire. Bake at 400 degrees F on a baking sheet that is sprinkled with cornmeal for 30-40 minutes or until the bagel tops are golden brown. After cooling, you can cut in half and toast and serve with cream cheese or butter. You could also slice them and use them to make a sandwich to pack in a lunch.
My Review
This is the first batch of bagels that I have ever made. I am really glad I challenged myself to make them. They are so easy to make. I think the hardest part was shaping the bagels. You had to make sure that you stretch them big enough so that you will still have the whole in the middle after the rising process. I also thought that the bagels tasted really good. My kids loved them. I did not add anything to top the bagels because I was trying to keep the cost down. I had all the other ingredients on hand so this recipe did not cost much at all to make. I plan to make these again as they were so easy and tasted quite good.
Other Bagel Recipes
Stand Mixer Recpe: Homemade Bagels
By Hand: Homemade Bagels
