These bagels are chewy, crusty and properly dense New York Style Bagels. The overnight rise creates the perfect texture and flavor – and you’ll have fresh, hot bagels for breakfast or brunch less than an hour after getting out of bed.
I promise you if you follow this recipe correctly you can make a good bagel at home. I mean, there are loads of really bad bagels in the world and life is just too short to eat a bad bagel.
Personally, if a frozen grocery store bagel was the last bit of food on earth….well, I would eat it so I wouldn’t starve, but I surely wouldn’t enjoy it. Ditto for the big, puffy bagels from certain chain restaurants. Nope, not for me.
What’s the difference between a bad bagel and a good bagel? Well, to start with, I would walk 30 minutes in the freezing cold for a good bagel. True story, on a recent trip to New York we did exactly that. And it was worth every single step.
What is a true New York Style Bagel?
A good New York Style Bagel (really, is there any other kind?) must have a nicely dense and chewy texture with a toothsome crust. To get that characteristic chewiness we’ve got to develop some really strong gluten in the dough.
First of all we use bread flour for maximum protein content. More protein means more gluten development. Kneading also helps develop the gluten.
But we can also employ a few “lazy” steps to help develop the dough. First we make a “sponge” and let it set for 30 minutes. During that rest the water has time to hydrate the flour and give us a head start on gluten develop. This little bit of hands off time also improves the flavor of the final product.
Once the bagels are shaped we give them a quick 15 minutes at room temperature to rise just a bit, then they go into the refrigerator overnight.
You can skip the 15 minutes at room temp if you want your bagels even a little more dense.
The cool, slow rise enhances the flavor and texture of the dough. I’ve left the formed bagels in the refrigerator as long as 16 hours and got great results.
An added benefit of overnight bagels – they are ready to finish first thing in the morning. Once your oven is preheated, it only takes about 30 minutes to boil and bake the bagels.
Scroll through the step by step photos to see how to make New York Style Bagels:
Tips for making perfectly chewy New York Style Bagels overnight:
- Allowing the sponge to rest for 30 minutes before mixing the dough gives the gluten a head start in forming a strong network.
- Use unbleached bread flour for maximum gluten development.
- You can substitute molasses for the Malt syrup, but the malt syrup does give the bagels an authentic taste and color. If you can’t find it in your local market, you can buy it on-line.
- You could skip the overnight rise in the refrigerator and go straight ahead and boil and bake the bagels, but that long, cool rise is what gives these bagels their chewy texture and deep flavor.
- Boiling the bagels in sugar/baking soda water is what gives them a super chewy yet crisp crust. If you skip this step your bagels will have a crust similar to a roll or bread.
- Bagels should be baked in a very hot oven for a quick oven spring and good crust development.
- Bagels are best the day they are baked. For longer term storage slice the bagels about 3/4 the way through and pack them into freezer bags.
- Previously frozen bagels are best if toasted before serving.
Fresh, hot delicious bagels for breakfast or brunch. They also freeze beautifully for future enjoyment. Now all you need is a schmear of cream cheese!
If you’ve got a sourdough starter, I highly recommend my Homemade Sourdough Bagels for a real treat.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, I’d really appreciate a 5-star review.
Overnight Bagels
Chewy, crusty and properly dense, New York style bagels. They rise overnight so you can have fresh bagels for breakfast or brunch. All they need is a schmear of cream cheese.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (16 oz, 480 ml) warm water (about 100°F)
- 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons, 7g) instant yeast
- 5 cups (25 oz, 705g) bread flour, divided
- 2 tablespoons (1.5 oz, 42g) barley malt syrup (see note)
- 1 tablespoon table salt
- 1/4 cup (2 oz, 56g) granulated sugar (for boiling)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda (for boiling)
- 1 egg white, whisked lightly
- Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, caraway seeds or kosher/coarse sea salt for topping (optional)
Instructions
- In a bowl for a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl combine the water, yeast and 3 cups of the flour . Mix to form a thick batter. Cover the bowl and set aside for 30-60 minutes.
- Add the barley malt syrup and salt. If using a stand mixer, switch to the dough hook. Add the remaining flour and mix to combine. Knead 5 minutes on medium/low speed. If working by hand, stir in as much of the flour as you can, then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead in the remaining flour. Knead 5 minutes. Form the dough into a smooth ball.
- Put the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat the dough. Cover the bowl and set aside to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper then sprinkle the paper liberally with cornmeal (or flour). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly. Divide the dough into 12 even pieces. Use a cupped hand to roll each piece into a smooth, tight ball.
- To form a bagel, poke your finger all the way through the center of a ball to make a hole. Use two fingers to gently widen the hole. Continue gently stretching to form the bagel or twirl the dough around your fingers to widen the center hole (see photos). The hole should be 1 - 1.5" wide.
- Place the bagel on the prepared sheet pan and continue to form the remaining bagels. The dough will probably spring back a bit so you can go back and re-stretch them once you're done forming all the bagels. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 15 minutes then place the pan in the refrigerator overnight.
- In the morning, take the pan out of the refrigerator. The bagels should be noticeably fuller. Leave the tray out until the bagels come to room temperature, about 1 - 1 1/2 hours.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450°F. In a large pot combine 1 gallon of water with the sugar and baking soda and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to keep the water at a rolling simmer. Set a cooking rack over a clean sheet pan and place it next to the stove.
- Lift a bagel off the sheet pan and lower it into the boiling water, top side down. Boil the bagels for 30 seconds on each side. Depending on the size of your pot, you can boil 3-4 bagels at a time. As you remove the boiled bagels from the water, set them on the cooling rack to drain.
- Line two half-sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and generously sprinkle with cornmeal (or flour). Place 6 of the boiled bagels on each sheet pan. You could fit them all on one pan but they may rise enough to stick together as they bake. I like all the sides to be crusty so I leave plenty of room between them.
- Brush the bagels with egg white. You can leave the bagels plain or add the topping of your choice. To make "everything" bagels combine a tablespoon each of the seeds & salt with a pinch each of garlic salt and onion powder. Adjust toppings to your taste.
- Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Notes
You can use 1 tablespoon molasses plus 1 tablespoon of honey instead of barley syrup.
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Cathy Diem
Can I refrigerate the dough overnight and form the bagels in the morning? If so-how?- I mean rising time after forming. Thanks
Eileen Gray
You can. Just follow the recipe as is. After forming the bagels cover them and let them come to room temperature and start to rise. The time will depend on how warm your room is and how active the dough is. I would think at least a couple of hours. They don’t need to double in size but the key is to get the dough warm enough that the yeast starts working again. Otherwise, they won’t puff up in the water and in the oven.
Jenn
Hi there,
Do you think it would work to modify this recipe in order to use up sourdough discard? So replace equal parts flour and water with discard? My starter is 50% rye 50% cream flour though so it would mean less bread flour overall… would love to know your thoughts.
Eileen Gray
I have a recipe for Sourdough bagels that you should try. I don’t recommend using discard for the bagels. In fact, of all my sourdough recipes I find that the bagel recipe works best with a starter that’s had a double feeding. I use my small starter for making bagels.
Zoya
Hi there!
I love this recipe and would like to make blueberry bagels with the recipe.
When would you suggest to add the blueberries and would you use fresh or frozen blueberries??
Thank you!
Eileen Gray
I don’t think fresh or frozen would make a difference. The Blueberries will add quite a bit of moisture so just be careful as you handle them for boiling/baking.
Rick
Hi Eileen,
Your recipe sounds great, I really want to try it but, I am GF. Do you have any experience with GF flours or suggestion to use with your recipe?
I have a second question. Is the process of making your bagel similar to making big, soft pretzel?
Eileen Gray
Sorry, I’m not an expert in GF recipes. Yes, boiling the bagels in baking-soda-water is similar to making a soft pretzel.
Steve in Tel Aviv
I reduced the hydration to 60%, and used the Malted Barley Syrup (iHerb).
34 grams of Vtal What Gluten boosted the protein to 14%.
The bagels got a 48-hour slow-rise in the fridge.
My friends are calling this the “perfect bagel”.
Thanks again, Eileen.
Saige Matolka
I just finished eating one of these bagels from the batch I just made & it was delicious!! When I was making the dough last night it was very sticky so I added about 1/4 cup of extra flour & I was nervous it would mess up the recipe, but they turned out so good in the end!!!! Super chewy insides & the outside crust is perfect. My family loves them and I will definitely be using this recipe again, thank you!! (also, I found that 20 min was slightly too much cooking time. My first batch was a little overcooked, but I think the problem is with my oven not your instructions. I cooked the rest for 15 min and they turned out beautiful!)
Woodie
Hello Eileen, At Step 6 when I cover the sheet pan with a plastic wrap And allow to rest for 15 minutes before I store the bagels in the refrigerator overnight,..,does the plastic wrap ever stick to the bagel dough when you take it off in the morning and if so how can I prevent that? From the interpretation of your recipe I’m gathering that the bagel dough is best when covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator over night. Yes?
Thanks in advance,
Woodie
Eileen Gray
Yes, the night in the refrigerator helps develop the flavor of the bagels. Obviously they need to be covered so the dough doesn’t dry out. If you find the plastic wrap sticking you can coat the side of the plastic wrap touching the dough with a light film of oil or cooking spray.
Steve
HI,
Since this will become my go-to recipee for bagels now, any suggestions on how to adjust this this to make a “whole wheat” version?
Thanks.
Steve in Tel Aviv
Eileen Gray
Yes, you could replace a portion of the flour with whole wheat flour. I would start with about 1/4 of the total and see how that works. You don’t want to use too much whole wheat since that would weaken the gluten.
Steve
I am am experienced baker, apprenticing in a bread bakery at the age of 13, and have been baking professionally on and off for years. I never tried bagels, but I did, pretzels (their cousin).
I made this recipe twice, both times using fresh ingredients, except for no access to the malt, so I did the honey/molasses combo.
Both times I made it, the bagels deflated as I put them into the water.
This is a sign that they were over-proofed.
The issue is… “overnight”. What is the actual time in hours that they need to be in the fridge?
Thanks,
Eileen Gray
Hi Steve, last week when I made the Sourdough Bagels, I left them in the refrigerator for a full 18 hours without trouble. Of course sourdough will behave differently than a yeasted dough. Generally, I make the dough in the late afternoon and prepare the bagels later in the evening. I would say the bagels have typically spent about 10 hours in the refrigerator.
But I honestly haven’t made the yeasted bagels recently and in the summer the dough could certainly be more active. How did the bagels look when you took them out of the fridge?
I have updated the sourdough recipe to note that in the summer I have been putting the bagels straight from the fridge into the water without waiting for them to come to room temp. Again, sourdough may behave differently. But if your bagels come out of the fridge looking like they’ve risen a bit overnight you could try putting the cold bagels right into the water. They may sink as they go in but should rise pretty quickly.
The other option would be to refrigerate the dough overnight then shape and boil the bagels in the morning.
Steve
Hi Eilieen<
Thanks for youre reply. I would say that they didn’t look much different than when I put them in, a bit on the flat side. As soon as I touched them they lost a bit of their shape, and the raw “crust became wrinkled” They didn’t puff in the water, either. I am wondering, since I am in Israel, and its pretty HOT… that they over-proofed even before they hit the fridge?
Maybe reduce the rising times before the fridge, and leaving them in the fridge the whole time?
I will also try the straight from the fridge option this weekend. I am NOT giving up. With bagels here costing $1.75 a piece… I want a hommade option.
Again, thanks for the input, I will keep trying.
Eileen Gray
Yes. The warm weather can make a big difference. Good luck.
Steve
OK, so it looks like third time was the charm!
1. Proofing times were greatly reduced 30 mins + 30 mins (watached the dough rise to double).
2. Rerigerator time was 18 hours.
3. Bagels went from fridge to boiling water.
4. They deflated a bit in the water, and were wrinkled, I was worried.
5. 20 mins in the over… puffy and perfect!!!!
Thanks so much.
Eileen Gray
I agree Steve. With the warmer weather my dough has been very active and I’ve been going straight from the fridge to the water. May have to readjust again in the fall. Glad you got a good result.
Neil Brand
I made the recipe 3x Bagels were wonderful first time.The next two times the bagels looked perfect and round ,refrigerated and in the morning they were flat. Thought I did all the same. Cold over kneading make this happen as I kneaded by hand for 10 minutes. I really loappreciate the recipe but am frustrated. Hope you can help.
Eileen Gray
Hi Neil. Did you do anything different the second and third times? 5 minutes of kneading should be sufficient. How was the dough when your formed the bagels for the 2nd and 3rd batch? Was it nice and elastic? Are you using the same type of yeast? Do you mean they were flat when you took them out of the fridge or when you lifted them into the boiling water? I find my dough behaves very differently at this time of year than in the cooler months.
Taylor Walker
Hello! I love love love this recipe, these bagels have been an insane hit with everyone I’ve made them for!
How long do you think they are able to hold up in the fridge? I’ve had them in there for about 18 hours so far, and had intended to make them today, but plans changed and I need to make them tomorrow. Do you think they would hold another 24 hours in the fridge?
Thank you!!
Eileen Gray
Hmmm, I’ve never held them that long. I assume the bagels are already formed? If they’re not you can definitely hold the dough for up to 2 days. If the bagels are already formed I’m a little afraid they’ll over-proof and will be difficult to handle getting them into the water. If you try it let me know how it works out.
Deanna Leedberg
Love this recipe – really delicious!! I’m making a batch of these and the sourdough to bring to a brunch. Is it possible to boil them the night before and then bake them the next morning? Thanks!
Eileen Gray
No, they should be baked as soon after boiling as possible. I make sure the oven is preheated before I start boiling. You can have the bagels cut and ready the night before. I have often prepared the water in the pot the night before as well. As soon as you get up take the bagels out of the fridge. Turn on the water and oven and as soon as the bagels are about room temp you can get started.
Kelsey
This recipe was great. Taste was good, but my dough over-proved and therefore was flat. I was wondering if I should cut the 15 min rise before going in the fridge or shorten the time I have them at room temp before boiling??
Eileen Gray
Were they already over-proofed by the morning? If so, then you can eliminate the 15 minutes before refrigeration.
Michelle
I had a great time with this recipe up until it came time to boil them. They stuck to each other, they stuck to the parchment and they all ended up deflating and just turning awful. They rose beautifully in the fridge but into each other and no matter how I tried to separate and lift them off the parchment, it didn’t work and they were a mess. I was really excited for these but it ended up a terrible waste 🙁
Jennifer Tucker
This was my first attempt making bagels and I have to say I couldn’t have hoped for a better outcome! This may very well become a go-to recipe for me. They’re perfectly chewy on the outside and soft on the inside, and just the right balance of sweet and salty ( I used everything bagel seasoning as a topping).
A few notes: I used 12 oz of whole wheat flour and 15.5 oz of all purpose flour (a recommendation from a different recipe – I looked it up because I didn’t have bread flour). I also subbed the molasses-honey mixture for the barley malt, and I baked at 400 instead of 450 (23 min ended up being perfect for me).
Bagel making is certainly time-intensive, but totally worth it. I divided the dough and boiled half straight away and the other half are rising in the fridge overnight. I can’t wait to see how they’re different and which method I prefer. Thank you so much for an amazing recipe!
Jamie
I followed the recipe exactly using gram weights, and my dough was so wet it could not be kneaded. So I kneaded in a few extra table spoons which allowed me to shape them but in the morning the slightest touch deflated them so they were lumpy and flat. Tasty though!
Eileen Gray
Did you use unbleached bread flour? Did you give the sponge 30-60 minutes before mixing the dough? Did you knead a full 5 minutes? All these steps help develop the gluten, which lets the bagels hold their shape.
Louise
My bagels seem to come out flat even though I followed the recipe to a “T”. I can only get 8 bagels. I put 3 to a cookie sheet for the refrigerator. They rise but tend to spread out. Should I put them on a sheet the way that I do cinnamon buns so that they touch? Will this allow the dough to rise higher?
Eileen Gray
If the bagels touch in the pan they’ll be almost impossible to pick up and transfer to the pot. If they stick together you’ll have to tug them to separate and then they can deflate. Place them on a well-floured pan with plenty of room between them so they don’t touch. Why can you only get 8 bagels? If you prefer larger bagels that’s ok. But if you divide the total dough by 12 you can have 12 bagels.
Jeff G
I had the same issue with the bagels being flat in the morning. I followed the recipe exactly, and I had great success with each rising and it was clear the yeast and gluten was perfect until the dough hit the fridge. My thought is that in the morning, it would probably help to take the bagels out of the refrigerator earlier, let them warm up to room temperature and let the yeast reactivate to puff them back up a bit, then put them into the water. As it is written, the cold bagels cause the water to stop boiling even with just three or four bagels in it. Just a thought.
Eileen Gray
Hi Jeff, looking at the way I wrote the instructions I can see the confusion. I rewrote it to be more clear. The intention is that the bagels sit at room temperature for some time. They can sit out longer if need be.
Kevin
Hello.
Not much experience at baking but I’m looking forward to giving these a shot! It’s been really hard to find yeast these days but a thoughtful neighbor gave me some active dry yeast. Your recipe calls for instant yeast. What additional steps will I need to take with active dry yeast?
Eileen Gray
The recipe should work as written with active dry yeast. If you want to be sure the yeast is good, in step one mix the yeast and water with a 1/2 tsp of sugar. Set it aside for 20 minutes to make sure it bubbles up. After that proceed with the recipe as written.
Jerry Mason
I’ve been spending quite some time looking for a good Bagel recipe having grown up in Jersey and NY. I’ve noticed a common theme with the Barley Malt Syrup in the dough, but another recipe I found uses the syrup in both the dough and in the boil. What are your thoughts on using the syrup vs. sugar?
Eileen Gray
I think you could use either in the boil. But definitely the syrup in the dough.
Mark ANDRST
Hi. I am from Long Island and these taste just like my local bagel shop, thank you.. But as a few others have stated the bagels go flat while being covered in the fridge. Are you using cling wrap? I feel that the wrap is preventing them from rising even though they are loosely covered. Maybe they should rise in a deeper dish? I use the scoop method. I let proof for 60 minutes and then rest for 15 minutes before the fridge. Would a longer time cooling in fridge (16+ hours) cause them to flatten? I had to reshape into a ball after fridge cooling, poke a hole and then rise again at room temp in order to get better results. Otherwise they turn out to be flagels
Eileen Gray
Hi Mark. I place the bagels on a parchment lined sheet pan which is well-sprinkled with flour. Then I cover the bagels with plastic wrap. I’ve had the bagels in the fridge for more than 12 hours. Are the bagels still flat after boiling and baking? What do you mean by the “scoop” method? Are you referring to measuring the flour? Is the 60 minute proof you refer to for the sponge at the beginning of mixing the dough? When you say the bagels go flat in the fridge do you mean they are flatter than when they were shaped? Like the actually deflated. Or do you mean they just haven’t risen enough?
Mark ANDRST
They rise in the fridge until they hit the cling wrap. Then they seem to flatten. Even if I let them rise a bit before boiling they flatten. I try to handle gently but they are very fragile
Eileen Gray
Does the dough have nice gluten development? Do you find the bagels are nice and springy when you’re shaping them? The dough should be springy enough that you may have to go back and give them another stretch to reopen the center hole. If the bagels have good gluten development I wouldn’t expect them to flatten from hitting the cling wrap. You are using bread flour, leaving the sponge for 30 minutes and kneading 5 minutes?
Mark ANDRST
Yes to all your questions. They are very springy. Holes close up. I am thinking just a bit less water. Thank you for getting back to me. Again I will say that the taste is excellent. Thank you for the recipe
Perri
Hello! In Brooklyn and self isolating, but really craving a bagel. Can whole wheat flour be substituted in?
Eileen Gray
Do you only have whole wheat flour? Do you have any all purpose or bread flour? Whole wheat flour doesn’t develop the gluten as well as white flour does. A dough made with just whole wheat is generally quite heavy.
Perri
Can’t get my hands on any bread flour – seems everybody’s cooped up inside and baking. I do have all-purpose, can I substitute that?
Eileen Gray
I accidentally used half all purpose flour the other day before I realized what I was doing. The bagels were still good. I think you’ll make pretty good bagels even with all ap flour. Just make sure to give the dough a good 5 minutes of kneading to really develop the gluten. Also, bread flour will absorb a little more liquid so if the dough is really sticky knead in a couple more tablespoons of flour.
Perri
Thank you so much! Planning to use all-purpose and will report back.
Kelsie
This was the first dough recipe I ever made and they came out wonderfully. I substituted the malt for 1tb of brown sugar, and it worked quite well. One thing I learned is that the cross-section of the bagel is important – if it’s not completely round, tougher flat spots will happen while the rest of the bagel rises. Still, it’s delicious. Some stores sell “everything” seasoning. I used this and it was super easy. It’s also great for other foods!
One question – is allowing these to rise in the fridge for longer than 12 hours okay?
Eileen Gray
Yes, I’ve left them in the refrigerator as long as 16 hours.
Wes
I’m planning to make a batch from this recipe tomorrow, but I’m already stumped at the ingredient list! My preference is to measure ingredients in grams whenever possible, so I was glad to see measurements in both volume and mass units on your site. Alas, I can’t make sense of your flour measurements. According to the King Arthur Bread Flour (which you mentioned using in another comment) packaging, 1/4 cup is equivalent to 30g, so 1 cup would equal 120g, and 5 cups equal 600g (or 21.25 oz). Your recipe calls for “5 cups (25 oz. 700g)”. Can you clarify which measure you use/suggest given the disparity?
Thanks for your guidance!
Eileen Gray
Because I’m based in the US where most home bakers tend to use volume measure, that’s how I start most of my recipes. Because I use the “dip & sweep” method for measuring flour I get 5 oz per cup of bread flour. So that is my base measure for my recipes. I use the conversion of 28g per ounce. So 5 oz x 28 = 140g per cup. 140g x 5 cups = 700g. If you divide 700g/5 cups then by 4 that equals 35g per quarter cup. Not a huge difference. A total of 25g in the whole recipe, or less than 1 ounce. If you are following my recipe I suggest you use my measurements since that is how the recipe was created.
Loly
OMG these bagels turned out amazing, even when I subbed one of the ingredients. The recipe calls for 42g of Barley Malt Syrup, I only have Diastatic – Malt Powder, so I decided to experiment. I used the same 42g of the diastatic malt instead. Left the bagels covered in the fridge over night, followed all the instructions the same, and the bagels turned out amazing! Nice crisp crust, soft inside. LOVE this recipe! I’m definitely ordering your book on Amazon!!! Thank you for this great recipe! 😉
Eileen Gray
Oh, thanks Loly!I like the substitution of diastatic Milk Powder for the malt syrup. Glad you liked the recipe. If you maintain a sourdough starter, I highly recommend the Sourdough Bagel recipe. I’m also currently working on a Sourdough Bialy recipe.
Elli
Any suggestions for helping the bagels not stick to the parchment paper aside from sprinkling with flour? My bagels had a good rise and shape to the them this morning, but when I tried to pick up my first bagel to put in the boiling water, it did not want to come off the parchment paper very easily, stuck to my fingers as I transported it to the water, and deflated. They rose back a tiny bit in the oven, but overall very deflated after good success shaping them and rising overnight in the fridge 🙁
Eileen Gray
Someone else mentioned that they use a silicone bagel mold. I haven’t used it so can’t speak from personal experience. I just make sure to sprinkle a very even layer of flour over the tray. If you miss spots that’s where the dough can stick. I haven’t tried placing the bagels on a silicone baking mat, but I might try it next time to see how it works. You could also try brushing a thin layer of oil over the paper instead of flour.
Elli
Thank you so much for your suggestions, I will try them out next time!
Amy
I use cornmeal. It makes all the difference! No sticking at all.
Eileen Gray
Yes. I’ve also been using cornmeal and did update the recipe to include that information.
Teri
If I may make a comment, I cut the parchment between bagels when ready to boil and individually turn the paper with the bagel upside down. So I never touch the bagel and have less chance of deflating it.
Eileen Gray
Yes, that works well.
Narayani
Hi,
This is a great bagel recipe that I’ve made multiple times now. Every time they taste great!! But I’ve made mistakes and modified things so here are A few tips from my Bagel baking attempts.
1) don’t forget to liberally four your baking sheet before the overnight rise. I lightly floured the first time and the bagels stuck a bit. The result was too much handling to get them into the boiling water and flat bagels that tasted great.
As I plan to make fresh bagels regularly I invested in some silicone bagel molds purchased on amazon. They are awesome and have solved my too much handling issue.
2) second time I forgot to cover the bagels before putting them in the fridge. I blame too much wine. Next day the tops of the bagels were dried out a bit. Still bake up well and tasted great, but the crust texture was a bit off.
3) as others have said, I too get a very wet dough. I am using King Arthur Bread flour and have found I need to add 3/4 – 1 cup of additional flour to get the correct consistency and up my kneading time to about 10 minutes Regardless of this, the bagels come out great! I am considering trying to reduce the water quantity next time to see how that goes.
4) just took a batch out of the oven and realized I forgot the egg wash on half the bagels (made 6 everything bagels that got the wash and 6 plain that didn’t) they look great but you can tell the bagels that didn’t get the egg wash don’t have that nice shine on the crust.
Overall this is a wonderful bagel recipe that I have enjoyed working and learning with. The one consistent thing every time I make these bagels it the taste. No matter what mistakes I make, Or things I forget to do, they always taste fantastic!!
Eileen Gray
Hi Narayani, thanks for your comments and suggestions. Regarding the sticky dough, did you allow the 30 minute rest after mixing the sponge? This will give the dough time to start hydrating the flour and developing the gluten. I really haven’t had an issue with this dough being sticky. I’ve made these bagels and my Sourdough Bagels at least 4 times over the last few weeks and have no problem with the dough texture. That being siad, do whatever works for you. Glad you like the flavor.
Narayani
Hi Eileen, thanks for the reply. I usually let the sponge develop or 30-45 minutes before adding the rest of the flour. Maybe next time I’ll use my kitchen scale instead of just the cup measurements. That always seems a bit more accurate. Thanks again for the great recipe
Eileen Gray
Yes, that can make a difference. I use the “dip and sweep” method for cup measure. You know, when you dip the cup into the flour bin then sweep away the excess. A cup of “dip and sweep” flour generally weighs a little more than flour that was “spooned” into the cup. The spooned flour is usually fluffier with more air in it.
Nota
Hi Eileen & Narayani,
Firstly, Narayani you had me lol with comment no.2. I agree with you, I’ve made these twice and although dough has been sticky and i’ve added more flour each time (a lot more the 2nd try) they always come out tasting like proper bagels. So I am ok with experimenting until getting it perfect. I don’t use the cup measurements, I measure the ingredients out. I was going to ask if perhaps that was the fault in my sticky dough. I’m gonna make this again next weekend. I will try a little less water for the sponge and I will use extra flour in the kneading. Also, re flouring the sheet the 1st time i lightly floured, 2nd i floured a lot more. Also, i discovered that handling the dough from pan to pot needs to be “gentler”. I have one more question (at the moment – haha) Eileen: when adding the malt & salt to the sponge i incorporate using the mixer. Perhaps i should just add ingredients and then the flour and mix with dough hook?
Ali
Hi! Have you experimented with freezing the dough at all? I’m thinking… making the dough and letting it sit overnight, then freezing half the batch to bake fresh at a later date. Do you think this would work? Thank you!!
Eileen Gray
It should work to freeze the dough. Just bring it back to room temp and proceed with the recipe. I always just bake the entire batch and slice and freeze any leftovers. They toast up perfectly.
Nota
Hello and Happy New Year! I’m making these for the 2nd time and again the dough is very (very) sticky. I’ve followed your instructions and dosages. I’m using bread flour as instructed. However, perhaps the bread flour sold here (I’m in Greece) is thinner? First time I made these the dough was sticky, I added a lot of extra flour before removing from stand mixer. The bagels came out delicious but they were flat. This time i took the sticky dough out of the mixer, moved on to next step for rising, however when i took it out of the bowl it could not be knead/shaped into balls. I ended up spending 15 mins hand kneading and continuously adding more bread flour. I must have added about another cup, dough is still sticky but not as much as before. Should the dough be “bouncy”? Next time should I add more flour in the mixer until dough bounces back when pocked? At the moment, I’ve oiled the bowl again and will let it rise for an hour, i presume the dough needs to rest. Hope they turn out ok. Apologies for the long comment, I’m new to baking.and can’t find a decent bagel here in Greece, so for my sanity, I need to master this hahaha.
Eileen Gray
No need to apologize, I’m glad you’re so determined to make a good bagel. I can’t say for sure, but I would bet that the flour might be different in Greece. I made several batches of bagels lately and the dough is not especially sticky and should be quite elastic by the time you’re finished kneading. I use King Arthur bread flour, which has a protein content of 12.7%. Maybe you can try and find out the protein content of your flour for comparison? You’re bagels could come out flat if the dough is not elastic enough to hold in the air as they bagels rise. When I make this dough, it is strong enough that I really have to stretch and pull the dough into the ring shape, and it will pull back at you.
Nota
Thank you Eileen for taking the time to reply. So, they again are edible and taste like what bagels taste like but they are flat. The problem mainly is that since they are flat they are tough to bite into because the outer later is crunchy/hard and there is hardly any soft inside. Yeah, my dough was nothing as you described yours. The flour I’m using is 12.2% protein. Does that make a huge difference? Going forward, next time I try, should I perhaps use less water in the 1st step, say 1 cup instead of 2? Should i perhaps add a cup or two of flour? Although having added an extra cup at least both the times I made these (& this second time might have actually been more than a cup)… perhaps 1 cup less of water and 1 cup more of flour to start..& then when kneading in my mixer judge if extra is needed add?
Eileen Gray
A cup more or less of water and/or flour would totally change the recipe, so I definitely wouldn’t recommend such a drastic change to the ingredients. Since it is a lower protein flour you could add a few more tablespoons of flour while kneading the dough. But the dough should certainly spring back and be quite elastic when you’re done kneading. But even if the dough is a little too wet, if you have enough gluten development they will still rise. The problem could also be how you’re handling the dough. When you take the bagels out of the refrigerator in the morning have they risen at lease 50%? When you boil them do they puff up a bit? Also, when you lift the risen bagels off the sheet to transfer them to the boiling water you need to work gently so you don’t deflate the bagels. Make sure you well-flour the sheet pan so the dough doesn’t stick as you lift them.
Abby
Hi. I made this recipe and thought I had followed it correctly, but then my bagels all burned on the bottom. I used silicone baking mats on top of my sheet pans. Do you know why this could have happened? I’m a little lost!
Eileen Gray
Hi Abby. I’m not sure what happened. Honestly, I don’t bake with silcone mats often, but I suspect it’s more about your oven. Do you have an oven thermometer to check if your oven temp is accurate? Also, try baking on a higher rack. If you have more than one sheet pan you can slide a second pan under if the bottoms are baking too fast.
sheila
Hello! Wow, wow. Thank you for this incredible recipe. As a Native New Yorker now in Colorado, oh I have struggled to find good bagels! My daughters and I made these last night and enjoyed them this morning! Our favorite topping was salt (Maldon) and chopped fresh rosemary. We also made “Everythings” with fresh pressed garlic and variety of herbs. YUM.
I followed the recipe and they turned out perfectly! Crust — amazing, cooked perfectly inside (15 minutes for ours). I do need a proper utensil for taking them out of the pot of water as I was using tongs and they had a few indentions.
I am going to try the sourdough next. Thanks again!
Sheila
Eileen Gray
Well, since you’re a native New Yorker I take that as the ultimate compliment. So glad you enjoyed them.
Kristi
I had the same issue as another reviewer in that my bagels never really rose. They tasted great and had a nice texture, but they were flat. Not sure where I went wrong – I followed the recipe exactly. The dough was very stretchy when I shaped the bagels, but when I took them out of the fridge the next morning, they had spread out and the dough seemed very wet. Any suggestions on what I could do differently next time? I’d definitely like to try again!
Eileen Gray
Hi Kristi, Did the bagels not rise at all, or did they spread out and not up? Did the dough feel airy the next day, or dense? You can see in the photo that my bagels did rise out as well, almost touching the next day and the center hole is smaller. But they do puff up in the oven. Make sure to flour the pan so the bagels don’t stick. If the dough is sticking to the pan that could cause the bagels to deflate as you lift them off the pan to put them in the boiling water.
Kristi
They didn’t seem to rise much, but the little bit they did they seemed to rise out and not up. And I’d say the dough was more airy than dense the next day. I’ll try flouring the pan next time as you suggested. Thanks for the quick response!
Michelle D
Any idea what the difference in boiling/baking time would be for making mini bagels with the recipe?
Eileen Gray
Hi Michelle. I think the boiling time might be about the same. But the baking time would probably be shorter. I would start checking them at 10 minutes. Of course it depends how “mini” they are.
Ashley
Just came across this recipe and am so excited to try it out. We don’t have any bagel shops where I live other than Panera so we constantly are craving bagels! Where would I find barley malt syrup at the grocery store? Thanks!
Eileen Gray
Hi Ashley. In my grocery I find barley malt syrup In the baking aisle. You can also find it on line at amazon.
Natalie
Would this recipe work for the rolling out method instead of the punched out method? I really want to incorporate ingredients into the dough.
Eileen Gray
What do you mean by the “rolling out” method? Do you mean rolling and cutting circles form the dough like donuts?
Natalie
You cut the dough into individual sections and then instead of sticking your finger through it you rolling it out into a thin disc and roll it up into a log and then overlap the two ends
Eileen Gray
Oh, got it. I did these bagels with both methods to see if it was true that “rolling” makes a chewier texture. The texture of the bagels was just about the same with either shaping method. I find poking the finger through method a little easier. But you can do it either way.
Melaney
Eileen, my family loved these!! They came out perfect! Thank you for your post I’m so glad I found them. I made 3 that night and 9 the next day and you are right I love the over night but the ones we had that day they were still good!! Thank you again
Eileen Gray
Thanks, Melaney! If you ever get into sourdough baking (or maybe your already do?) try my Sourdough Bagels for a real treat.
Ashley
These turned out AMAZING! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Eileen Gray
You are quite welcome! Glad you liked the recipe.
suzie
Best bagel recipe I have found yet and I have made a LOT of different recipes in the past 10 months. Thank you so much for sharing! I think I have found my new go-to recipe 🙂
Eileen Gray
Yay! So glad you like the recipe, Suzie. If you have a sourdough starter, I would definitely recommend that you try my Sourdough Bagel Recipe.
J
I’ve made this recipe twice and both times the bagels went flat as soon as they hit the water. Up to them going into the water, they were a great consistency, formed, had nice rise….put them in for their bath and they deflated…what can I do to prevent this?
Eileen Gray
They probably were over-risen. With the warmer weather the dough is going to rise more quickly. What I did the other day (with sourdough bagels) was take the bagels out of the fridge when the water was boiling and the oven was pre-heated. They went right into the water still cold from the fridge. They did sink, but they came back up to the surface pretty quickly. This worked really well with the sourdough bagels and would probably work for the yeasted bagels too. I’m going to update the post to include hints for warmer weather.
Judy
I loved them but found them quite salty. I am reading one tablespoon was it teaspoon of salt♀️
Eileen Gray
No, I use a tablespoon. There are 5 cups of flour is the recipe, which is quite a lot. You can use less salt if you prefer.
Joanne
Can diastatic malt powder be substituted for malt syrup? I have seen it in some bagel recipes. If so, what would be the proper amount? Thanks
Eileen Gray
Hi Joanne, the barley malt syrup is in the recipe for the flavor. Diastatic malt powder includes enzymes that help condition the dough. The enzymes in the malt powder help the yeast grow to create a better rise and oven spring. I haven’t tried this recipe with malt powder, but according to the King Arthur flour website you should use about 1/2 tsp per 3 cups of flour. If you use the malt powder, I would still use the malt syrup for flavor (or a mix of honey/molasses).
Winnie
My bagels tasted delicious, but they were very flat. My only thought was that I possibly didn’t do the first step properly? i combined the water yeast and flour then mixed them to a thick consistancy. after 45 minutes I added the barley malt syrup and salt and mixed again. then i switched to the dough hook and added flour and kneaded 5 minutes. i then allowed to rise to double, kneaded slightly and formed my bagels.
any ideas? I followed the rest to the tea, but it seems my bagels never rose in the refrigerator at all. 🙁
Eileen Gray
Hi Winnie. It’s hard to say. Do you think the bagels were flat because they never rose or because they deflated? Did they spread out instead of rising up up? Did the dough have a good stretchy texture? After forming the bagels did you leave them at room temperature for 15 minutes before refrigerating? I made these bagels a couple of times and found that 15 minutes gave the bagels a little head-start on rising.
CJ
Mixing for so long might cause them to come out flat; mixing 5-10 minutes with the dough hook has always worked well for me
Eileen Gray
The recipe does specify kneading 5 minutes and that’s how long she said she kneaded. I find 5 minutes kneading on a stand mixer plenty of time, especially when using bread flour.
Hanna
My bagels came out flat, too, but besides that super yummy. I noticed my dough was very wet and therefore also hard to handle, so next time I’m doing this recipe, I’m going to reduce water by 20% and hope this will help with the flattening, too.
Eileen Gray
Hi Hanna, a few suggestions for next time. Make sure you are using bread flour and not AP flour. The same amount of bread flour absorbs more water than AP flour. Make sure to let the sponge rest for 30 to 60 minutes before you finish mixing the dough. During this time the gluten will develop and the water will be absorbed. If you are not weighing your ingredients, use the “dip and sweep” method for measuring the flour. Dip the cup into the bin and sweep away the excess. If you spoon the flour into the measuring cup you’ll be using less flour than the recipe specifies since I always use the dip and sweep. Finally, make sure to flour the sheet pan for the bagels. If the dough sticks to the paper it can deflate a bit when you pick up the raw bagels. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Erica McConnell
The problem is possibly using active dry yeast and not instant. My flat morning bagels led to further contemplation. I used active dry and had a spreading dough.
Eileen Gray
Active vs. instant would affect how fast the dough rises. Some folks add a little extra yeast when using active dry to get a quicker lift. The spreading dough would be more about the gluten development.
kathleen
my second batch was flat. they did stick to the sheet pan! maybe this was my problem. i do feel i had the right ratio of water/flour and think they got kneaded plenty so must be what happened. they were delicious but super weirdly flat.
John
Mine come consistently flat with uncooked dough on the inside and a hard crust in the outside. tried lowering to 425 F and the same thing happened. Pretty bad recipe.
Eileen Gray
Many people have great success with this recipe, including me. I make then almost every week. I would be happy to trouble shoot with you if you have any specific questions.
kathleen
my second batch was flat, but my first batch was amazing! i think they did stick to the sheet pan! maybe this was my problem. i do feel i had the right ratio of water/flour and think they got kneaded plenty so must be what happened. they were delicious but super weirdly flat. i will let you know how my third batch comes out, john
Eileen Gray
I have updated the recipe and post with more information which will hopefully prevent the sticking.
Renae
This recipe calls for sugar but never shows when to add it ….
Eileen Gray
Hi Renae, the sugar doesn’t go into the dough. The sugar and baking soda are added to the water for boiling the bagels.
Patrice
I’ve used a water, non-diastatic malt powder bath to boil my bagels. I’m not sure the baking soda/sugar bath would give enough flavor. What do you think?