Bagels

I am very picky when it comes to bagels. I do not like many store bought ones. Prefer the ones from local bagel bistros. Couple days ago my neighbor told me that she made bagels, and I was surprised. I  always thought it was not easy to make bagels. If my neighbor can make it so can I. I adapted the recipe from sallysbakingaddiction.com. The bagels turned out to be really awesome.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups warm water

2 3/4 teaspoons instant or dry yeast

4 cups bread flour/ all purpose flour, plus more for work surface

1 Tablespoon packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 egg white beaten with 1 Tablespoon water (egg wash)

2 Quarts water

1/4 cup honey

Method:

1. Whisk together warm water and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with dough hook until frothy.You can use a hand blender to whisk in a large bowl, if you do not have a stand mixer.

2. Add the flour, brown sugar and salt. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. The dough will be stiff and look slightly dry. Save the bowl.

3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for 4-5 minutes.

4. Lightly grease the large bowl you saved with oil. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 60-90 minutes or until double in size. You can use the instant pot to rise the dough. Grease the IP insert pot, place the dough in it. Cover the pot with a glass lid. Press yogurt setting on less for 1 hr 30 minutes.

5. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

6. When the dough is ready, punch it down to release any air bubbles. Divide the dough into 8 equal parts. Shape each piece into a ball. Press you index finger through the center of each ball to make a hole about 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter. Loosely cover the shaped balls with a clean kitchen towel and rest for a few minutes.

7. Preheat oven to 425 deg. F

8. While the shaped balls are under the towel, fill a large, wide pot with 2 quarts of water. whisk in the honey. Bring water to a boil, reduce heat to medium high. Drop the bagels in, 2-4 at a time, making sure there is enough room for them to float around. Cook the bagels for 1 minute on each side before removing from water.

9. Brush the top and sides of each bagel with egg wash. Place 4 bagels on each lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with seasoning of your choice.

10. Bake for 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The bagels should be dark golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow bagels to cool on the baking sheets for 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cover bagels tightly and store at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to a week. Enjoy your bagel toasted and topped with butter or cream cheese.

Note: I doubled the dough in instant pot. I also used egg substitute for egg wash.