I never imagined making my own bagels. I do have my favorite bagel place, but it’s not really convenient to get to. I’m picky about my bagels. I hate those thick, cakey ones, or the really hard ones that give your jaw a real workout. You know the ones, right? If you can bite through it, your face hurts for a week? I like em soft and pillowy, yet having the right amount of chew. Well, guess what? These bagels are just that! I’m so excited. They really are fun to make and not difficult at all. Just think of all the kinds that you can make….raisin cinnamon, onion, poppy seed, jalapeno cheese, sesame seed and the ever popular everything bagel.  I chose sesame seed this time. I found the recipe on line but I made several changes and I must say, I did good!! 🙂 Can you tell that I am excited?  I am Betty the bagel maker! Yay!

Ok, you ready to make bagels? You’re going to have fun!

Soft and Chewy Bagels

3  1/3 cups of bread flour
1/2  tblsp rapid rise yeast
1/2 tblsp salt
1  tblsp granulated sugar
1/2  tblsp vegetable or canola oil
1  cup + 2 tablespoons of warm water (not hot)

1 egg white, slightly beaten
sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dehydrated onion bits, (optional)

In a bowl of  a sturdy stand mixer, using a dough hook, mix the flour, yeast granules and salt. Mix the water, sugar and oil together and add to the flour mixture. Mix on low (kneading) for about 5 minutes. Dough should not be sticky wet. Remove dough and form into a smooth ball and place it in an oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean towel. Let it rise to double the size. Takes about 1 hour.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. After the dough has risen, cut it into 8 pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Using your thumb, poke a hole in the middle of the ball and stretch to a bagel shape. Place the bagels on your lined baking sheet. Cover with towel again and let it rise for about 20 minutes. It may not rise that much, but it’s ok.  In the mean time, bring a big pot of water to boil…..about 8 cups. Turn off the heat on the water. Heat the oven to 375.  Once bagels have risen a bit, gently pick them up and place them in the big pot of water. Let them float for 1 minute and then turn them over for another minute. Remove them from the water and place on a rack so that all of the water drains off. Place them on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with the egg white. Sprinkle on the toppings of your choice. Bake for 15 minutes. Raise oven temperature to 400 and bake for another 5 minutes or until nice and brown. Let them set for at least 10 minutes. Enjoy.