Homemade Bagels

There’s just something about a fresh, warm bagel that feels like home. Bagels have been part of Jewish life for centuries — first appearing in Jewish communities in Poland as far back as the 1600s. They were shaped into circles to symbolize the eternal cycle of life and often gifted to women after childbirth as a sign of good luck. From the shtetls of Eastern Europe to the bustling streets of New York City, bagels have traveled with us, becoming a symbol of Jewish resilience and comfort.

And while we love a good bagel shop run, there’s nothing quite like making your own at home. The smell, the chewy crust, the satisfaction of seeing those golden rings come out of the oven — it’s a taste of tradition you can create in your own kitchen.

So grab some flour, roll up your sleeves, and let’s make the most iconic Jewish bread together — homemade bagels, Jewlish style.

Homemade Bagels

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

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Servings

8 Servings

1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 2½  teaspoons yeast
• 1 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1½  cups warm water
• 4 cups bread flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 egg for egg wash
• toppings: sesame seeds poppy seeds, dried onion and garlic, sea salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 420℉ / 215℃.
• In a mixing bowl, add the yeast, brown sugar and warm water. Mix until sugar is dissolved and wait a couple minutes for the yeast to activate.
• Add the salt and stir. Gradually add the bread flour to the yeast mixture and stir, making sure to get out any lumps. Make sure you use bread flour which makes your bagels nice and chewy (as opposed to all-purpose flour which makes fluffier bagels).
• Knead dough for ten solid minutes (or 15 minutes if you’re going slowly). Or, use a mixer with a dough hook on medium speed for 5 minutes.
• Place dough in a greased bowl and let rise at room temperature for about 75 minutes or until doubled in size.
• Separate dough into 8 equal sized balls on a tray with baking paper or a nonstick mat. Make sure they are relatively smooth. It doesn’t need to be perfect. Complainers don’t get bagels.
• To make the holes, poke into the center of the dough down to the bottom of the tray and stretch it out a bit.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil. Boil bagels 1 minute on each side and transfer back to baking tray.
• Egg wash the bagels and dip or sprinkle toppings of your choice: poppy seeds, sesame seeds, dried onion and sea salt are the classics.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.
• Cool for 20 minutes on a wire rack.

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