Ultimate Homemade Bagels

These bagels are better than my favorite bagel place - and I can't believe I'm even saying that... they are that good. Crispy-crunchy exterior and pillow-y - tender insides. When I toasted the first piece and took a bite, I got chills! MMMMmm mmm - look no further - for the perfect homemade bagel recipe. Simplified with easy ingredients.

Ingredients: (yield 8 bagels)

Bagels

- 1 & 1/2 cups warm water (about 110 degrees)

- 1 packet instant dry yeast (about 2 & 1/2 teaspoons)

- 1 tablespoon brown sugar

- 2 teaspoons salt

- 4 cups All Purpose Flour plus more for counter OR (bread flour works amazing)

- 1/4 cup Honey (or malt syrup)

- 1 Egg for egg-wash (mix with 1 teaspoon water)

Toppings

- Shredded cheddar cheese (shred your own - it makes all the difference!)

- 1 Jalapeno (seeds removed)

- Everything bagel seasoning

- Shredded Asiago cheese

NOTES for Make Ahead: You can do up to steps #8 the night before (without preparing the honey water or turning on oven.) Make the dough the night before! Get through the step where you form the dough into bagel shapes - and let them rise for 20 minutes (unlike the 10 minutes below). THEN you can put the bagel formed doughs into the fridge over night with some cellophane over them. In the morning, you can wake up, turn the oven on, get your water boiling and go from there! It's actually much nicer to do that way - saves time and the refrigerator gives them that "New York Bagel chewiness".

Other notes: I have not tested this recipe with wheat flour.

Directions:

1. To your mixer (or a bowl if you do not have a mixer) Add the yeast and really warm water and stir. Let this sit and get the yeast activated - 5 minutes.

2. Once foamed up - add the brown sugar, salt and flour to the mixer with the dough hook. Put on low speed for about two minutes until all combined. If you do not have a mixer - add the flour, salt and brown sugar into a bowl and make a well in the middle - then pour in the water/yeast mixture and gently incorporate and mix with hands until a firm pliable dough forms - this is a dry dough.

3. After the two minutes - bring the dough onto the counter with a little bit of flour. The dough is too thick and cumbersome to knead in the mixer. Knead the dough for about 4-5 minutes. Use your palms to do this back and forth.

4. Once finished, take the bowl you were using and coat with some olive oil or cooking spray. Roll the dough around in it so its covered. Put a towel over the top of the bowl and let rise for 1-2 hours. (I did 1 hour) It will depend on the temp of your house -- so it may take longer.

During the time it is rising - I prep everything --

- Get two baking sheets ready with parchment paper or silicone sheet if you have them

- Get out your large dutch oven or wide pot with about 2 quarts of water on the stove

- Prep toppings - cut jalapeños, shred your cheddar (do your own - it melts better!) and put your other toppings into a bowl

5. Once the dough has risen - I preheat the oven to 425 degrees and turn on stove to start boiling the water.

6. Add the honey to the water and whisk in (it takes about 10-15 minutes to start boiling - once boiling - lower to medium-high heat)

7. First - punch down the dough a few times to get out all the air bubbles. Put the dough onto counter with a little bit of flour. Grab your bench scraper - and cut the ball in half. Then each half in half. Then, cut each of the four pieces in half again so you have 8 similar size pieces.

8. Roll out each piece 1 at a time to a smooth ball. Next, dip your finger into flour and create the hole in the center. Once you do - sort of stretch them out a bit so the hole forms and stays in place. Repeat to all dough pieces. Cover the shaped bagel doughs with the towel one more time to rest for 10 minutes.

**PRO TIP: As a piece of advice - I cut parchment paper into individual squares to set the bagels on - 1 per bagel - this makes it a lot easier to add the bagel into the water without mis-shaping the dough when trying to remove from the parchment with your fingers or a spatula. Especially if you are having them rise over night - they get tacky and soft - making it difficult to remove!

9. Your water should be boiling at this point - drop 4 in (or however many you can fit at a time) be careful they splash up -- and boil for 1 minute per side. (I set my stopwatch to make sure) It's easy if you use a fish spatula for this. So do 1 minute - flip - and do 1 more minute. Remove and put on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper - it's OK they're wet and will look a little goofy. Don't worry they bake up beautiful!

10. Once all have been boiled on both sides and on the sheet trays - brush the egg wash on the tops and sides of each bagel.

11. Next - do your topping of choice - For everything seasoning - I put a bunch into a bowl and then put the bagel face down into it and rub around so the top is coated. Repeat.

For jalapeno cheddar - add the jalapeno on top and push into the dough a tad -- then cover and mount with the cheddar cheese - it's ok if it covers the hole because it melts down and crisps up perfectly!

12. Add a little bit of kosher salt or Maldon salt to the tops of all the bagels to finish them off.

13. I bake all 8 on one tray - just make sure they're not touching.

Know your oven - the time frame is about 18-25 minutes. Mine take 18 minutes precisely -- I rotate the tray halfway through (after 9 minutes) to ensure even cooking.

14. Remove the perfect bagels - let them rest on counter for 20 minutes - then enjoy!

Toast them and add butter or cream cheese and enjoy! These seriously taste INSANE - I hope yours turn out perfectly too!!

Make them and let me know what you think! Comment or like :)

xoxo Chef Em