Bagel Recipe

I got this recipe from Sister's Cafe

2 c. warm water (about 110°)
2 (¼ -oz) packets active dry yeast, or 1 T & 1 ½ tsp yeast
3 Tbs granulated sugar, plus 1 Tb
5-6 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp vegetable oil I just used cooking spray
2 Tb yellow cornmeal (opt – to spread on pan after boiling bagels.)

Combine the water, yeast, and 3 Tb of the sugar in the bowl of an upright mixer fitted with a dough hook. Stir and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Gradually add 4 cups of the flour and the salt, and mix until the mixture comes together.Add 1 to 1 ½ c. additional flour ½ cup at a time to make a stiff dough, either stirring with a wooden spoon or working with your hands. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and no longer sticky, about 5 minutes, adding just as much flour as needed. (Dough should be stiffer than regular yeast bread dough. This works using a Bosch mixer as well.)

Grease a large bowl with 1 tsp of the oil. Place the dough in the bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until almost doubled, about 1 hour.

Remove from the bowl and punch down the dough. Divide into 12 equal pieces, about 2 to 3 ounces each, measuring about 4 inches across. Form each piece of dough into a ball. Roll each ball into a 4-6 inch log. Join the ends and place fingers through the hole and roll the ends together. I found that it was much easier, and the bagels were much prettier, when I took the ball patted it out and then poked a hole with my thumb in the center. I then was able to work it into a bagel. Repeat with the remaining dough. Place on a lightly greased surface, cover with a clean cloth, and let rest until risen but not doubled in a draft-free spot, 20-30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°.Grease a baking sheet with the remaining teaspoon of oil, or sprinkle with cornmeal.

In a large, heavy pot, bring about 12 cups of water and the remaining Tb of sugar to a boil. (This takes like 10 minutes, so start boiling it early!) In batches, add the bagels to the water and boil, turning, for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Flip bagels onto the prepared sheet pan. The boiling is what makes the bagels chewy and yummy. Another bagel recipe I have (the failed attempt) said to boil the bagels for 8 minutes. I think the 30 sec. to a minute is too short. I did it for about 2 minutes or so. Next time I'll probably do it about 5-6 minutes or so.

Bake bagels for 20-25 minutes. My first batch I baked for 20 and I don't think they browned enough. The second batch I let stay in a bit longer which made them even better. I made my bagels plane but of course the possiblities are endless when it comes to topping bagels. I think if you were to top it with cheese it would be best to make them then melt the cheese on top. To top with seeds one other recipe I found said this: Remove bagels from the oven after about 15 minutes, spray with water, and sprinkle with seeds. Return to the oven to finish baking. Remove the bagels from the oven, and cool completely on a rack. You'll have to let me know what works best! Enjoy!