I’ve been on a serious bread/carb kick lately–blame quarantine 🙈As soon as the stay at home order went into effect, all I wanted was a fluffy, comforting bagel. While some people are still getting prepared foods delivered, we have decided to only get groceries delivered (to limit potential exposure), so I continued to daydream about bagels. While I had made bagels in a class setting previously, I had never attempted making them at home and I finally had the reason to give it a whirl! After testing and tweaking, I am so excited to share this recipe for Authentic NY Style Bagels. Never settle for subpar (or lack of) bagels ever again! Be well and stay healthy.
Some housekeeping before we get started:
What is a New York Style Bagel?
New York style bagels are soft, chewy and doughy. They tend to be larger than the slightly sweeter, denser Montreal style bagel.
What Makes a New York Bagel So Good?
Some say the key ingredient to a New York style bagel is the NY tap water. The NY tap water is very soft (containing low levels of vitamins such a s calcium and magnesium) and some say hard water can strengthen the gluten in the dough, yielding a more dense bagel. The truth is that the preparation method is really to credit for these bready delights. The long proof, boiling the bagels and then baking is really the key here!
How to Substitute Active Dry Yeast for Instant Yeast
Only have Active Dry Yeast? No problem! Check out how to substitute accordingly below. For a more in-depth yeast explanation, check out my Intro to Baking with Yeast.
One packet of yeast contains approximately 2 1/4 tsp (0.25 ounces).
To substitute Active Dry Yeast for Instant Yeast: Use 25 percent more Active Dry Yeast. You will need to proof the yeast by dissolving it in a portion of the warm water (no hotter than 110 degrees) from the recipe.
Example: If your recipe calls for 1 tsp of Instant Yeast, use 1 1/4 tsp of Active Dry Yeast.
To substitute Instant Yeast for Active Dry Yeast: Use 25 percent less yeast, and bonus, you can add it right into the dry ingredients.
Example: If the recipe calls for 1 packet or 2 1/4 teaspoons of Active Dry Yeast, use 1 3/4 tsp of Instant Yeast.
Now let’s get to it!
INGREDIENTS
Bread Sponge
- 20 oz Bread Flour
- 1 tsp Instant Yeast
- 2 1/2 cups Lukewarm Water, 110 degrees or cooler
Dough
- 1/2 tsp Instant Yeast
- 18 oz Bread Flour
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Brown Sugar
Additional Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Baking Soda
- Sesame Seeds, Poppy Seeds, Everything Seasoning etc OPTIONAL
- Cream Cheese, Butter, Tomato, Smoked Salmon, Capers, Onion, etc OPTIONAL
INSTRUCTIONS
Bread Sponge
In a large bowl, combine the sponge ingredients, mixing until fully combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours. The sponge will be fluffy and bubbly.
Dough
Add all the dough ingredients into the sponge and knead until combined. I do this for a few minutes in the bowl and then transfer the dough to your counter to continue kneading. Knead until the dough is smooth and very stiff. If your dough is sticky, gradually add a bit more flour. You can also do this step in a stand mixer using a dough hook.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Divide the dough into 12 portions and roll each portion into a smooth ball. Place 6 balls on each prepared baking sheets and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Let the trays rest on the counter for 20 minutes.
Gently poke your finger through the center of each ball, making a circular motion to form the hole. I then use both of my pointer fingers (one on either side) to gently stretch the hole using a circular motion (picture fidgeting with a rubber band). Place the bagels back on the 2 baking sheets and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Let rest on the counter for 20 minutes and then transfer the trays to the refrigerator.
Let rest in the refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight. I prefer overnight if you have the time (this allows for better structure and flavor).
Boiling & Baking
Remove the trays from the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While the water is coming to a boil, let’s get everything prepared. You’ll need a baking sheet lined with a dish towel or paper towels, a large slotted spoon or spatula, and dishes with all your toppings laid out. For toppings, you’ll want these to be wide enough that you can fit the bagel into the dish. Add the baking soda to the boiling water. This enhances the color and flavor!
This next part moves quickly! Gently place 3 bagels into the boiling water for 30 seconds. Use the slotted spoon to flip the bagels over and boil for another 30 seconds.
Promptly remove from the water and immediately place into the toppings. The timing here is key–if you wait, the toppings won’t stick. After the toppings, move the bagels to the towel lined baking sheet. Repeat until all the bagels are boiled and topped.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and move the bagels onto the baking sheet. It’s fine if they touch. Place the tray into the preheated oven and immediately decrease the temperature to 450 degrees. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pan if baking unevenly and continue baking for 10 – 15 minutes until the bagels are a deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool for 10 minutes and then dive in! Et Voila: homemade authentic NY style bagels always at your fingertips. To really go for the gold, I love making these with a batch of my Scallion Cream Cheese. Enjoy!
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Authentic NY Style Bagels
Ingredients
Bread Sponge
- 20 oz Bread Flour
- 1 tsp Instant Yeast
- 2 1/2 cups Lukewarm Water 110 degrees or cooler
Dough
- 18 oz Bread Flour
- 1/2 tsp Instant Yeast
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Brown Sugar
Additional Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Baking Soda
- Sesame Seeds, Poppy Seeds, Everything Seasoning etc OPTIONAL
- Cream Cheese, Butter, Tomato, Smoked Salmon, Capers, Onions etc OPTIONAL
Instructions
Bread Sponge
- In a large bowl, combine the sponge ingredients, mixing until fully combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours. The sponge will be fluffy and bubbly.
Dough
- Add all the dough ingredients into the sponge and knead until combined. I do this for a few minutes in the bowl and then transfer the dough to your counter to continue kneading. Knead until the dough is smooth and very stiff. If your dough is sticky, gradually add a bit more flour. You can also do this step in a stand mixer using a dough hook.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Divide the dough into 12 portions and roll each portion into a smooth ball. Place 6 balls on each prepared baking sheets and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Let the trays rest on the counter for 20 minutes.
- Gently poke your finger through the center of each ball, making a circular motion to form the hole. I then use both of my pointer fingers (one on either side) to gently stretch the hole using a circular motion (picture fidgeting with a rubber band). Place the bagels back on the 2 baking sheets and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Let rest on the counter for 20 minutes and then transfer the trays to the refrigerator. Let rest in the refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight. I prefer overnight if you have the time (this allows for better structure and flavor).
Boiling & Baking
- Remove the trays from the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While the water is coming to a boil, let's get everything prepared. You'll need a baking sheet lined with a dish towel or paper towels, a large slotted spoon or spatula, and dishes with all your toppings laid out. For toppings, you'll want these to be wide enough that you can fit the bagel into the dish. Add the baking soda to the boiling water. This enhances the color and flavor!
- This next part moves quickly! Gently place 3 bagels into the boiling water for 30 seconds. Use the slotted spoon to flip the bagels over and boil for another 30 seconds. Promptly remove from the water and immediately place into the toppings. The timing here is key–if you wait, the toppings won't stick. After the toppings, move the bagels to the towel lined baking sheet. Repeat until all the bagels are boiled and topped.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and move the bagels onto the baking sheet. It's fine if they touch. Place the tray into the preheated oven and immediately decrease the temperature to 450 degrees. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pan if baking unevenly and continue baking for 10 – 15 minutes until the bagels are a deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool for 10 minutes and then dive in!
Ok! This was my first attempt at bagels. I’m from LI and now live in northern VA. We miss our family and friends from NY but we really also miss NY bagels!!! Found this recipe and all of it made sense and the old tale that ny water makes the pizza and bagel what they are is FALSE! Lol this recipe was fantastic and the ingredients and instructions were so well done! I did everything it said. I will add I didn’t allow the dough to sit over night, I refrigerated for 3 hours and my results were great. I… Read more »
Thanks so much for trying these–I’m so glad they were a success!! It’s so hard to top a NY bagel done right 🙌
Soup and bagels
Hello im going to try this recipe i jist had a question, When you cut into individual balls to make the 12 bagels do you know how many ounces it ball was? Thank you
I’m so glad you’re going to try it! The weight will vary slightly (based on how much flour you add, given humidity etc). I recommend weighing your bowl, and then weighing the bowl with the dough and dividing that number by 12. Happy baking!