Bagels From Scratch: Yes, You Totally Can

Bagels From Scratch: Yes, You Totally Can

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It’s amazing to me that a pile of flour, yeast, water, sugar, and salt can turn into so many different kinds of bread type things. Today, we’re going to use this pile of goodness to make bagels from scratch.

FARM bagel dough

Mmmm. Homemade bagels made from scratch.

Yes, you totally can do it. And it’s only going to take you a little over a couple hours from start to finish. Here’s how:

Bagels from Scratch – Ingredients:

4 1/4 to 4 1/2 cups flour

2 pkgs yeast (or 4 1/2 tsp bulk yeast – this is my favorite kind!)

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

3 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp salt

Bagels from Scratch – Procedure:

In a big bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour and all of the yeast. In a smaller bowl, combine the water, sugar, and salt, and then add this mixture to the flour and yeast in the big bowl. Beat three minutes or so with a mixer at high speed.

Stir in more flour (by hand) to make a moderately thick dough, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface to knead until smooth.

(Kneading should take you 8-10 minutes. Don’t wimp out.)

Now, cover the dough with a dishtowel and let it (and yourself) rest for about 15 minutes.

After resting, cut the dough into 12 portions. Shape those portions into smooth balls and then punch a hole in the middle of each ball. Pull at the center of the hole you’ve punched to form a bigger hole.

Try to make your future bagels sorta kinda uniform likeโ€”let me know if you’re an expert at this, because I’m sorta kinda not.

Bagels from scratch A Farmish Kind of Life

After you have them all bagel-shaped, cover them with a towel again for another 20 minute rest.

While you’re resting, start a big pot of water with 1 gallon of water and 1 Tbsp sugar to boil. (Seriously. You will see why in a minute.)

After the 20 minute rest (and once your water is boiling), turn your water down to a simmer.

You are now going to drop those baby bagels into the water, four at a time, and let them simmer for seven minutes.

Bagels from Scratch A Farmish Kind of Life

You can turn them once while they are simmering.

I know: bread dough into water is weird. But do it anyway. Also, don’t forget to turn the water down to simmer, because if you actually boil these baby bagels…well…you will have to explain to your family why that batch didn’t turn out.

Ask me how I know.

You might also enjoy… Honey Wheat Bread: Perfect for Sandwiches

After seven minutes, pull them out of the water, and let them drain on a cooling rack.

Start the next four bagels in the water and repeat until all the bagels have had a nice warm bath.

Place all 12 of your bathed bagels on a greased baking sheet, and bake them at 375 for 30-35 minutes. And then…

Bagels from Scratch A Farmish Kind of Life

You might want to try one before your family knows they are done so you actually get one, because once they figure out the bagels from scratch are done, they will disappear.

Bagels from Scratch a Farmish Kind of Life

Yum-a-licious. ๐Ÿ™‚

(Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Garden Homemade Bread Cookbook.)

Bagels from Scratch

Homemade bagels made from scratch? You can totally do thisโ€”and itโ€™s only going to take you a little over a couple hours from start to finish. 

Servings 12 bagels

Ingredients

  • 4 1/2 cups flour, approximately
  • 2 env. yeast, or 5 tsp bulk yeast
  • 1 1/2 cups warm water, (110 degrees)
  • 3 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1 Tbsp salt

Instructions

1. In a big bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour and all of the yeast.

2. In a smaller bowl, combine the water, sugar, and salt, and then add this mixture to the flour and yeast in the big bowl.

3. Beat three minutes or so with a mixer at high speed. Stir in more flour (by hand) to make a moderately thick dough.

4. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface to knead until smooth (8-10 minutes).

5. Cover the dough with a clean dishtowel and let it rest 15 minutes.

6. After resting, cut the dough into 12 portions. Shape those portions into smooth balls and then punch a hole in the middle of each ball. Pull at the center of the hole youโ€™ve punched to form a bigger hole.

7. After they are bagel-shaped, cover them with a towel again for another 20 minute rest.

8. While the dough is resting, start a big pot of water with 1 gallon of water and 1 Tbsp sugar to boil.

9. After the water boils, turn it down to a simmer. Drop the bagels into the water, four at a time, and let them simmer for 7 minutes.

10. After 7 minutes, pull them out of the water and let them dry on a cooling rack. (Then put the next four bagels in the water.)

11. After all 12 bagels have had a simmering bath, place them on a greased baking sheet.

12. Bake the bagels at 375 for 30-35 minutes.

Spending time in the kitchen today? You could also make…

Homemade Hamburger Buns

Carrot Pie: Yes, I’m Serious

One Rise Baguette: Fast and Fancy

Pizza: Make Your Own From Scratch

What's better than bagels? Bagels from scratch. Here's how you can learn to make bagels from scratch like a boss. Own your kitchen, and possibly the world.

 

Do you homeschool? So do we! Check out my book โ€” The Homeschool Highway: How to Navigate Your Way Without Getting Carsick.



25 thoughts on “Bagels From Scratch: Yes, You Totally Can”

  • Just got a glimpse of your site, you are awesome. I am going to try the green beans tomorrow, maybe the bagels on Thursday when it rains. Looking forward to reading more. Thanks for sharing

    • I’ve not tried it, but my educated guess is that if you do half white half wheat, it would be fine. I’m not sure about using all wheat. If you try it, let me know how it works! ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Love these! Make them this morning. mine only took about 25 minutes in the oven. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe. My husband loves them!

  • Looove these! Made them for the first time last weekend when I had family visiting. They were a hit! This week I added blueberries to half of the batch and will put cinnamon sugar on the other half. I found that poking the hole in the dough balls, and the twirling them around on my finger makes them a LITTLE nicer looking than when I created the hole by stretching the hole out. Does that make sense?? Thank you for sharing this recipe!

  • Made these today. Outstanding! I added savory flavorings…onion flakes, garlic powder, dill weed, sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to my dough. Very, very delicious.

  • Just made your bagels this morning and oh my goodness……… I’m in heaven. My Dad would be proud of me. He was the bread Baker once he retired. He would LOVE these. Thank you for sharing.. Brave enough to venture into other avenues of bread baking now.

  • Did you use regular or quick yeast? I assume quick as it rested only 15 minutes but how would the recipe vary for regular yeast?

    • Well….after some research, I realize that SAF is instant yeast and apparently you can use it in no knead breads. I started using it long ago because it was the only one you can buy in bulk (that I found at the time). SAF doesn’t have to proof in water so that also makes it easier. If making this for regular yeast, I’d let the yeast proof in warm water (instead of adding it straight to the flour). I’m also guessing the time would take a little longer. But all of that is a guess because apparently this yeast that I assumed was regular ol’ yeast (which I WAS using a long time ago) is NOT regular ol’ yeast. ๐Ÿ˜‰

      • I wish I had known that you used instant rise yeast… my bagels were very flat since I just followed the recipe with my yeast I bought in bulk.

  • I am also wondering about which yeast to use because when you click on the link to show which yeast you use it says instant yeast. Did you use instant or active

    • Well….after some research, I realize that SAF is instant yeast and apparently you can use it in no knead breads. I started using it a few years ago because it was the only one you could buy in bulk (that I found at the time). SAF doesn’t have to proof in water so that also makes it easier. If making this for regular yeast, I’d let the yeast proof in warm water (instead of adding it straight to the flour). I’m also guessing the time would take a little longer. But all of that is a guess because apparently this yeast that I assumed was regular ol’ yeast (which I WAS using a long time ago) is NOT regular ol’ yeast. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  • Thanks for the reply! I made the recipe before your reply and I used regular active yeast and the didn’t turn out. I will try again with instant yeast. ๐Ÿ™‚

  • My family loves bagels, but we rarely buy them because the store freezes them during shipping and then their texture is off and they don’t last long in the cupboard. Will definitely be giving these a try. Homemade bagels sound amazing.

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