Homemade Bagels

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2002

Show: Emeril LiveEpisode: Bagel Bites

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (30)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(30)

Cook Time:
1 hr 15 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
12 bagels

Times:

Prep: 10 min
Inactive Prep: 1 min
Cook: 1 hr 15 min
Total:: 1 hr 26 min

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Ingredients

2 cups warm water, about 110 degrees F
2 (1/4-ounce) packets active dry yeast
3 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal

Optional Toppings:

1/2 cup lightly toasted chopped onions (2 teaspoons each)
2 tablespoons poppy seeds (about 1/2 teaspoon each)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds (about 1/2 teaspoon each)
1 tablespoon kosher salt (about 1/4 teaspoon each)

Directions

Combine the water, yeast, and 3 tablespoons of the sugar in the bowl of an upright mixer fitted with a dough hook. Stir and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Gradually add 4 cups of the flour and the salt, and mix until the mixture comes together.

Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups additional flour 1/2 cup at a time to make a stiff dough, either stirring with the wooden spoon or working with your hands. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and no longer sticky, about 5 minutes, adding just as much flour as needed. (Dough should be heavier and stiffer than regular yeast bread dough.)

Grease a large bowl with 1 teaspoon of the oil. Place the dough in the bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until almost doubled, about 1 hour.

Remove from the bowl and punch down the dough. Divide into 12 equal pieces, about 2 to 3 ounces each, measuring about 4 inches across. Form each piece of dough into a ball. Roll each ball into a 4 to 6-inch log. Join the ends and place fingers through the hole and roll the ends together. Repeat with the remaining dough. Place on a lightly greased surface, cover with a clean cloth, and let rest until risen but not doubled in a draft-free spot, 20 to 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Grease a baking sheet with the remaining teaspoon of oil.

In a large, heavy pot, bring 12 cups of water and the remaining tablespoon of sugar to a boil. In batches, add the bagels to the water and boil, turning, for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Flip bagels onto the prepared sheet pan. Bake for 5 minutes, turn over and cook for another 30 to 35 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Homemade Bagels
Joe Chandler, AZ 01-27-2010
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Like a Chicago bagel
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I followed these directions and came out with fantastic bagels. My jewish mother-in-law loved them. She said that she can't... get bagels like this unless she goes home to Chicago. She said they are perfect. For those who did not get the recipe to come out correctly. My great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother all baked. I talked with them. I used correct temperatures for the water. The water I used was filtered. I did not use exactly 12 cups of water. I just boiled a bunch of water on 8 and then lowered the temperature in my free time. The recipe only took me three hours to complete. I had plenty of wait time. The secret ingredient is definitely the oil. I did not measure it out. I used it sparingly. The trick is absolutely paying attention to the time the bagel spends in the water. I only needed 30 seconds to a minute per bagel. I dipped three at a time. Getting them out can be tricky. These bagels made me a family hero. Thanks Emeril! Read more
recipe Homemade Bagels
William Canton, MA 12-19-2009
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Good start, but several flaws
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

Recently my financee tried making homemade bagels using a recipe from Food Network. Normally I don?t make anything unless... Alton Brown has blessed it, but she REALLY wanted to make bagels, and I figured we could give it a try. We had no problems until the very last part of the receipe: "Grease a baking sheet with the remaining teaspoon of oil. In a large, heavy pot, bring 12 cups of water and the remaining tablespoon of sugar to a boil. In batches, add the bagels to the water and boil, turning, for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Flip bagels onto the prepared sheet pan. Bake for 5 minutes, turn over and cook for another 30 to 35 minutes." Additionally, the instructions do not state what to do with the corn meal - we've ended up using it with no oil to coat the bottoms of the the bagels while baking. We?ve tried this recipe three times. The first time, we followed it exactly. What happened was the oil ended up frying, and then burning the bottoms of the bagels. Since you flip after 5 minutes, both sides end up burning (the bottom more so). After 15 minutes in a 400 degree oven the bagels were blackened at the top and bottom, but still white around the outsides. The second time we lowered the temp to 375, and used spray oil and some corn meal in the hope of reducing the amount of oil to ?fry? the bagels. We kept the 15 minute baking time. This worked, but we found the corn meal fused together on the bottom of the bagels (but didn?t burn). The third time, we didn?t use any oil, and simply used a base of cornmeal, baked for 20 minutes, and lowered the temp to 350. This has been the best so far.Read more
recipe Homemade Bagels
Natalie Denton, TX 12-11-2009
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These suck.
Rated: 1 stars out of 5

They didn't rise at all. I followed the directions to a T and they still came out awful. Instead of spending 4 hours on... bagels, why not spend 4 dollars and buy some. These are definitely not worth it.Read more
recipe Homemade Bagels
Dunnea Mountain City, TN 06-17-2009
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What the Cornmeal is About
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

Cornmeal is sprinkled under breads, bagels, pizza, etc. to keep the dough from sticking to the pans when the items bake. It... adds a bit of extra flavor and texture most people take for granted but may notice if the cornmeal is missing. It is not necessary to the finished product but it's use helps to add an authentic bakery texture and flavor. I have not tested this recipe yet ( ready to do so now ) but I agree with one review commenting the kneading time is a bit short. This may be why some people have had flat bagels following the recipe. On average, it takes 10 minutes of kneading time to activate the gluten that makes the dough elastic. Bagels are meant to have a chew to them, so I am going to knead at least 10 minutes.Read more
recipe Homemade Bagels
Lisa Somerset, KY 04-25-2009
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Cornmeal?
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I didn't figure out what to do with the cornmeal on the ingredient list! Mine are rising so I hope they come out well! Will... top with sesame seeds.Read more
recipe Homemade Bagels
NoFarmsNoFood new york, NY 04-16-2009
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Cinnamon Raisin Anyone?
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

Anyone try these in a cinnamon raisin variety?