New York-Style Bagels From Scratch
These New York-style bagels are incredibly flavorful, with a crisp crust and chewy interior that’s perfect for any topping or schmear. And the best part? They only take 7 ingredients to make!
What is a New York-Style Bagel?
You might not know this, but bagels aren’t made like any regular bread. They have a low water content for a denser and chewy interior with a long fermentation for flavor. To get a distinct bagel texture, the dough is also boiled to gelatinize the outer dough for a crisp and glossy crust.
Now, there are two main types of bagels: New York-style and Montreal-style. Compared to New York, Montreal makes bagels with a larger hole that are thinner and denser and baked in a wood-fired oven. Since they’re also boiled in a honey-water solution, Montreal bagels have a sweeter taste. In contrast, New York bagels are thicker and boiled in a barley-malt solution before being baked on burlap planks. There’s a big debate about NYC tap water as well—people argue that the tap water in New York is what makes their bagels so special. Now, I don’t know how true that is, but I can say that this bagel recipe sure comes close to the real thing!
Ingredients in Homemade Bagels
- Bread flour. It’s really important to use a high-protein flour (like bread flour) to get the best texture. If you use all-purpose flour, you’ll get less chewy bagels, since you can’t develop as much gluten in the dough.
- Whole wheat flour. I like to use whole wheat flour, since it gives the bagels a more complex flavor and deeper color.
- Kosher salt. Kosher salt is the most popular type of salt to use in cooking and baking, since you can control the amount of saltiness in a recipe better. If you use Morton’s salt, you’ll need to reduce the amount by half, since Morton’s is twice as strong as kosher salt.
- Dry-instant yeast. I like using instant yeast instead of active dry yeast, since it doesn’t need to be dissolved before going into a recipe and rises faster.
- Water. No need for fancy NYC tap water—clean, warm water will do (just make sure it’s not too hot or it will kill the yeast).
- Barley malt syrup or molasses. Barley malt is traditional to use in New York bagels, but it can be substituted with molasses or even honey (though honey will make the end result sweeter). Don’t leave the molasses out—we use it in both the dough and boiling solution for a golden color and glossy crust.
- Baking soda. Baking soda is used to boil the bagels, as it will set the exterior crust and give them color once baked.
- Cornmeal. Yellow cornmeal will stop the bagels from sticking to the pan before boiling.
- Toppings of choice.
What to Top Bagels With?
I love a good plain bagel, but nothing can beat a fresh everything bagel with cream cheese. Don’t be afraid to get creative with your toppings, but here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Everything bagel seasoning.
- Sesame seeds.
- Poppy seeds.
- Dried onion flakes.
- Asiago cheese.
- Cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Za’atar seasoning.
Can I Freeze Bagels?
Yes! Once baked and fully cooled, put the bagels in an airtight Ziploc bag and freeze them for 3-6 months. When you want them, either thaw the bagels at room temperature or in the microwave for 30 seconds before slicing.
Bagel Troubleshooting
- Why is my dough too dry? Depending on the altitude and humidity of your environment, you may need to add more water. Just be careful that you don’t add too much, or the interior of your bagel will be too open.
- Why did my bagels sink when boiling? If your bagels sunk, it means they weren’t fully proofed and didn’t have enough air to float. If the bagel doesn’t pass the float test, leave them to rise for longer.
- Why did my bagels deflate after boiling? If the bagels deflate a little, that’s normal—they should puff back up once baked. If they remain flat, there’s a chance you overproofed your bagel dough and there’s not much you can do to fix it!
- Why are my bagels wrinkly? Bagels can look wrinkly and irregular if they weren’t shaped well or if the water was boiling too hard when they were poached. When boiling the dough, make sure the water is at a gentle simmer.
- Why won’t my toppings stick? Most likely, you waited too long after boiling to put on the toppings. You could fix this by topping the bagels immediately after boiling or by using a quick egg wash instead.
- Why did my bagels crack in the oven? When the bagels rest in the fridge, they can dry out, resulting in a cracked appearance once baked. To prevent this, make sure that the bagels are covered with cling wrap and a damp towel overnight.
- Why did my bagels brown too much on the bottom? Some ovens run hotter than others—if you notice your bagels are browning too much, you can bake the bagels on two baking pans stacked on top of one another, which will act as a buffer for the heat.
If you have any questions, leave them in the comments—happy bagel making!
New York-Style Bagels From Scratch
These New York-style bagels are incredibly flavorful, with a crisp crust and chewy interior that's perfect for any topping or schmear. And the best part? They only take 7 ingredients to make!
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Servings: 12 bagels
Ingredients
For the bagels
- 6 ½ cups (885 grams) bread flour, can substitute ½ cup of the bread flour with ½ cup whole wheat flour
- 2 tablespoons (17 grams) kosher salt, or 1 tablespoon Morton's salt
- 1 ¾ teaspoons dry instant yeast
- 2 ¼ cups (486 grams) warm water
- 2 tablespoons barley malt syrup or molasses
For boiling
- Yellow cornmeal, for dusting
- Water
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon barley malt syrup or molasses
- Toppings of choice*
Instructions
- Make the bagel dough. Mix together the bread flour, whole wheat flour (if using), kosher salt, and yeast in a large bowl until well combined and set aside.
- In a liquid measuring cup, stir together the molasses and water until dissolved. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the water. Use a large spoon or rubber spatula to mix the flour until a dough forms.
- Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead until smooth and soft, around 10 minutes. The dough should be firm and won't stick to the work surface. If it is too dry, you may need to add a tablespoon or so more water to the dough (particularly if you're using whole wheat flour).
- Proof. Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl, then cover with a damp cloth. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, around 1 hour.
- To see if the dough is done rising, push a finger about one inch deep into your bread dough and let go. If the dough springs back immediately and leaves no indentation, it’s underproofed and needs to rest longer. If it springs back slowly and leaves an indent, it’s proofed well and ready to use. If it doesn’t move at all, it’s most likely overproofed.
- Preshaping. Once proofed, punch the dough down and place it onto a work surface. Use a knife or bench scraper to divide the dough into 12-13 pieces (around 115-125 grams, if using a kitchen scale). Take a piece of dough and pinch all of the edges into a teardrop shape. Place the dough seam side down onto the counter and form it into a ball; cup your hand over the dough and rotate it in a rapid circle, using the counter to tighten the surface tension of the dough to form a ball.
- Repeat with the remaining pieces of bagel dough, then cover them with a damp towel and rest for 5 minutes.
- Shaping. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or wax paper and dust them with yellow cornmeal. Set aside. To shape the bagels, take a piece of dough and use your fingers to poke a hole through the center. Gently stretch and roll the bagel until the center is around 1 ½'' in diameter. Alternatively, you can shape the bagels by rolling a ball of dough into a 7-8'' log. Wrap the dough around your hand, then join the two ends together and roll them under your hand until sealed. Gently stretch and roll the bagel until the center is around 1 ½'' in diameter. Repeat this process with each ball of dough.
- Once shaped, evenly space the bagels onto the prepared baking sheets, 6 to a tray. Cover the bagels with a layer of cling wrap, then cover each tray with a damp towel. Place the covered trays into a refrigerator for at least 4 hours, but up to 24.
- Boil and bake. Preheat the oven to 425℉ and remove the trays from the fridge. To test if the bagels are ready to boil, fill a bowl with room temperature water and gently place a shaped bagel into the water. If the dough floats, it is ready to bake. If it sinks, it needs to rest for longer.
- Fill a large pot or Dutch oven with water and bring to a boil on the stove. Whisk in the barley malt syrup and baking soda (be careful, as it may boil over). If using, spread a couple of tablespoons of bagel toppings onto separate plates and set aside.
- If any foam accumulates on the top of the water, use a spoon to skim the surface and discard. Once the water is bubbling, reduce the heat to a gentle boil. Gently drop the bagels into the water, leaving enough room for them to expand, and cook for 45 seconds. Flip the bagels over and boil for another 45 seconds, then remove the bagels from the water and place onto a wire rack to cool.
- If topping the bagels, quickly place the bagels onto the plate of toppings, flipping them over and pressing to adhere. Repeat with the remaining bagels.
- Once all the bagels are boiled, place them onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper and transfer to the oven. Bake the bagels for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through. Once the bagels are golden brown and cooked through, remove them from the oven and transfer to a wire rack. Allow the bagels to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving.
Notes
* Some topping ideas:
- Everything bagel seasoning.
- Sesame seeds.
- Poppy seeds.
- Dried onion flakes.
- Asiago cheese.
- Cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Za’atar seasoning.
