Traditional New York Style Bagels
Try this Traditional New York style bagels recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Traditional New York style bagels recipe, or contribute your own.
- dough
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- to finish
- sponge
- 500 g high gluten or bread flour (i used 350 tipo 00 flo use derum vetemjã¶l)
- 6 dl water room temperature
- 475 g high gluten bread floder ( see note above)
- 2 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon dark or light malt syrup (i used muscavodo syrup)
- cornmeal or semolina flour for dusting
- sesame seeds poppy seeds, sea salt flakes.
- Carbohydrate 0.412949429154134 g
- Cholesterol 122.012500247544 mg
- Fat 46.0748574511946 g
- Fiber 0.206900860520869 g
- Protein 0.85401178204503 g
- Saturated Fat 29.1572372617656 g
- Serving Size 1 1 -24 (139g)
- Sodium 327.369704431624 mg
- Sugar 0.206048568633265 g
- Trans Fat 3.23612864654084 g
- Calories 410 calories
Step-by-step
- Day One: To make the sponge, stir the yeast into the flour in a 4-quart mixing bowl. Add the water, whisking or stirring only until it forms a smooth, sticky batter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the mixture becomes very foamy and bubbly.
- To make the dough, in the same mixing bowl, add the additional yeast to the sponge and stir. Then add ½ of the flour and all of the salt and malt. Stir until the ingredients form a ball, slowly working in the remaining flour to stiffen the dough.
- Continue to knead for 6 minutes. The dough should be firm. If the dough seems to dry and rips, add a few drops of water and continue kneading. If the dough seems tacky or sticky, add more flour.
- Immediately divide the dough into 12 large or 24 small balls. Form the pieces into rolls.
- Cover the rolls with a damp towel and allow them to rest for approximately 20 minutes.
- Line 2 sheet pans with baking parchment and mist lightly with spray oil.
- Poke a hole in a ball of bagel dough and gently rotate your finger to widen it to approximately 2 ½ inches in diameter. Place each of the shaped pieces 2 inches apart on the pans.
- Mist the bagels very lightly with spray oil and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let the pans sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
- Float test: Fill a small bowl with cool water. The bagels are ready to be refrigerated when they float within 10 seconds of being dropped into the water. Test one bagel. If it floats, refrigerate overnight (up to 2 days). If not, continue to proof at room temperature.
- Day 2: Preheat oven to 250 degrees C. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add baking soda (and optionally, syrup).
- Remove bagels from the refrigerator and gently drop them into the boiling water, boiling only a few at a time. After 1 minute, flip them over and boil for another minute (or 2 minutes per side for chewier bagels).
- While boiling, sprinkle parchment-lined sheet pans with cornmeal or semolina flour. If desired, add toppings to the bagels as soon as they come out of the water.
- Place pans on the middle oven shelves. Bake for approximately 5 minutes, then rotate the pans. Lower the oven to 450 degrees F and continue baking for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove pans from oven and let bagels cool on a rack for 15 minutes or longer before serving.
My Bagel Baking Journey: A New York-Style Adventure
As a busy professional, time is my most precious commodity. Weekends are often filled with errands and appointments, leaving little time for elaborate cooking projects. But there's something deeply satisfying about creating something from scratch, especially when it involves the comforting aroma of freshly baked bread filling the kitchen. That's why, despite my hectic schedule, I decided to embark on the ambitious task of making authentic New York-style bagels.
The idea had been brewing for a while. I'd always adored the chewy texture and slightly sweet flavor of a perfect New York bagel, especially when paired with a generous smear of cream cheese and smoked salmon. But the bagels I'd purchased from local bakeries, while enjoyable, never quite captured the magic of those legendary New York City bagels. So, armed with a reliable recipe and a healthy dose of determination, I set out to recreate the experience in my own kitchen. The recipe itself seemed daunting at first, full of careful measurements and precise instructions. There was talk of "sponges" and "float tests," steps completely new to my baking repertoire. I was ready for a challenge.
The first day was a whirlwind of measuring, mixing, and kneading. The dough was surprisingly sticky and required a bit more flour than I initially anticipated, making the kneading process a true arm workout! I carefully followed each step, the recipe becoming my guide through a new baking world. Following instructions is critical for a good result, especially when you're unfamiliar with a recipe. I didn't take any shortcuts. The waiting period between creating the sponge and the final shaping of the bagels felt especially long, but observing the dough rise and bubble was a rewarding part of the experience.
The second day was equally exciting and involved some unexpected challenges. The boiling process was fascinating – watching the bagels gently bob to the surface of the bubbling water was like witnessing a culinary miracle. And while the recipe suggested a baking time, I quickly discovered that my oven baked a little differently, and had to adjust the final baking time to get that perfect golden-brown crust. That's something you learn from experience, and I will continue to improve my baking skills over time.
The final result was spectacular. The bagels were everything I had hoped for and more. They possessed that characteristic chewy texture, a subtly sweet flavor, and a delightful crust that gave way to a soft, airy interior. The taste was far superior to any store-bought bagels I'd ever had. It's not just about the great taste though. The process itself provided a welcome break from the usual demands of work. There's something therapeutic about the repetitive motions of kneading dough, the precise measuring, and the anticipation of the final product. And the satisfaction of biting into a perfectly baked, homemade bagel, knowing I'd crafted it myself from scratch, was truly unparalleled.
This journey of making New York-style bagels wasn’t just about achieving a culinary goal; it was about embracing the joy of creating something beautiful and delicious from humble ingredients. My tip to anyone considering this recipe: Be patient, have fun, and don’t be afraid to experiment. The process will be as rewarding as the final product itself.
Ingredients: (Note: The full ingredient list is provided separately in the original recipe.)
