How to Make Bagels

Bagels are fun and easy to bake, and absolutely delicious to taste. Once you learn how to make bagels, you can experiment till you drop, and still you will find newer and yummier ways to bake these delights.

The traditional Jewish bagel can be turned into a filling breakfast recipe or a yummy meal. Much can be done with this round shaped bread, right from using it as a pizza base or making a delicious sub out of it. The sweet hint of a bagel can be accentuated by topping it with sesame seeds, cheese, cinnamon, garlic or onion. The soft circular breads are healthy to eat and good to taste, which make them a great hit amongst mothers who find it hard to make interesting lunches for kids. Baking a bagel is extremely easy and absolute fun. Take a look at how to make beguiling bagels at home in no time!

How to Make Bagels at Home

Ingredients

• 4 cups, bread flour
• 2 teaspoons, baking soda
• 1 ½ cups, room temperature water
• 1 tablespoon, salt
• 2 teaspoons, instant yeast
• 3 teaspoons, dark brown sugar
• About ½ cup cornmeal & flour for dusting

Instructions

• In a large bowl, mix brown sugar, warm water and yeast. Add flour and salt to the same mix, so that the ingredients retain their moisture.
• Knead this dough with your hands, until it makes a smooth surface, similar to that of playing clay. The dough has be extremely soft and fawn in color. Set the dough aside for at least two hours.
• After two hours, pour out the dough on a board and chop it into pieces of equal size. Roll each piece into a ball and pierce it with your finger right at the center.
• Place each dough ball on the baking sheet and cover it. Refrigerate these overnight.

• The next day, preheat the oven at 450 F and make a baking dish ready by dusting a mixture of cornmeal and flour onto it. Dust it evenly and lightly, so that it makes a thin white layer on the surface of the baking dish. This is done to prevent the dough from sticking to metallic surface.
• Next, bring two bowls of water to boil with baking soda. One by one, drop the bagels in the boiling water and let them boil for two minutes each. Boil them till they get fluffy. Remove them from water and drain them completely.
• Place all the boiled bagels on the baking dish and bake them for about 15 minutes till they turn tan brown. A well done bagel should reach a temperature of 185 C on thermometer. Allow the bagels to cook down before slicing or cutting them.

Baking the exact soft and spongy bagels like your favorite baker, is a challenge that can be easily achieved. It only takes practice to make these bagels breathtaking. To add an enticing flavor to your bagels you can sprinkle some cinnamon, garlic, cheese, sesame, oregano, rosemary and other tasteful herbs. A dash of freshly ground pepper will give your bagels a spicy taste, that is bearable for every eater. Bread lovers would know that a bagel has to be flavorful and not just of a regular taste.

Bagels are the quick breakfast items that are low on calories and high on energy. A bread spread in between and some veggies, will make this fresh bake the best breakfast ever. To make it a meal, stuff it with meat of your choice, some veggies, the right sauces et voila! Bagels are the perfect size for making lunch box sandwiches for kids. A tasty bagel will be welcomed with vegetables by children. A well baked bagel doesn’t demand much garnishing. Its own flavor is good enough to leave you craving for more!

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