I've always used an adaptation of this recipe when I've made bagels (recipe at the end of the post). It's super simple but just requires a heavy duty mixer to deal with the heavy duty dough.
Let your water, sugar and yeast proof in a bowl. When it gets foamy your yeast is ready.
Combine your dry ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer. Make a well in the middle and add your yeast mixture and vegetable oil.
Use the dough hook attachment and mix up your dough. Knead by hand for ten minutes (or let the dough hook do the kneading for you. I usually go this route). The dough will stiff but smooth.
Place your kneaded dough in an oiled bowl. Cover and let rise for an hour.
Once your dough has risen, punch it down and turn it out onto a floured surface.
Cut your dough down into 15 even pieces. I like to use my kitchen scale and weigh out each piece so that I know I'm breaking the dough up evenly.
I keep the dough balls (a.k.a. bagels in waiting) covered as I form the bagels so that they don't dry out.
Using your hands, form the dough into a smooth ball and work your fingers through the middle the create the bagel shape. I didn't do a great job with my dough so you can tell that the dough wasn't as smooth as it should be.
Cover the bagels with a tea towel and let the rise for 30 minutes. In the meantime, get a pot full of water boiling, adding a 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 tsp of baking soda to the water. This will help create a thicker skin to your bagel.
Once the bagels have risen and your water is boiling, drop a few bagels into the water. Boil them for 1 minute on each side. You'll note how puckered they get.
After boiling, mix 1 egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of water and brush your bagels. If you want to add a topping, now is the time to do it. I topped mine with shredded Asiago.
Bake in a 500 degree oven for 10-15 minutes and voila! Fresh and yummy bagels straight from your oven.
Need a closeup of the yummy goodness?!
Asiago bagels (adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride)
2 1/4 cups warm water, plus more as needed
1 pkg active dry yeast
1/4 cup sugar, divided
6 3/4 – 7 cups bread flour, plus more for kneading
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp vegetable oil, plus more for greasing
1 Tbsp sugar
1 egg yolk
1 cup shredded Asiago cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tsp baking soda
Combine water, 1 Tbsp sugar, and yeast in a bowl and allow to proof for 10 minutes until foamy. If there’s no sign of life after 10 minutes, dump and start over.
Combine flour, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer, making a well in the dry ingredients. Add yeast mixture, and oil into the center. Mix until combined and knead by hand or mixer for 10 minutes. The dough should be stiff but should become very smooth and elastic. Form dough into a ball, put it into an oiled bowl, turning once to coat all around, then cover bowl with plastic wrap and leave to rise for about 1 hour.
Punch down the dough and turn out onto floured surface again and knead for a couple minutes. Divide into 3 pieces, and then divide each into 5. If you have a kitchen scale use it to help you. Keep these dough balls covered or in your plastic-wrapped bowl while you’re not working with them. Form a ball and push your thumb through the center. Work around to make a smooth-ish ring that is about 3-4 inches in diameter.
Set bagels on oiled baking sheets, cover with tea towels and let rise for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 500 F. Set a large pan/pot of water to boil (at least 5 inches deep), and when boiling add 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp baking soda.
When the water is boiling and your bagels have puffed up a bit, start poaching. Drop a couple bagels at a time (or however many will fit with plenty of space) and boil for 1 minute each side. Place them back onto oiled backing sheets, well spaced.
Mix your egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of water, and brush onto bagel while still moist. Sprinkle with Asiago. When all bagels are poached and topped, bake for 10-15 minutes or until they’re shiny and golden brown.
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