S'sK Plain Bagel Recipe

This recipe makes a lot of bagels. I make about 15 large bagels with this recipe. These bagels last only a few days, but I freeze half of the batch, that way I can eat one batch fresh and then take the second batch out of the freezer and put it in the refrigerator to thaw.

S'sK Plain Bagel Recipe

Ingredients:
3 cups water

3 tablespoons white sugar

4 teaspoons active dry yeast

3 teaspoons salt

8 1/2 - 9 cups bread flour

Bonus items:

Parchment paper

 

Instructions:

1.       Add cold water to microwave safe bowl. Microwave water for about 45 seconds until warm. Add water to a large bowl. (Water should be warmer than lukewarm, but not hot enough to burn you.)

2.       Add sugar and yeast to water and stir with a fork to dissolve.

3.       Cover yeast bowl with plastic wrap and let yeast bowl sit in a nested bowl or Tupperware container with hot water.

a.       To make a nested bowl with hot water:

                                                   i.      I use a large Tupperware container and fill it about half way up with hot water.

                                                 ii.      Nest the yeast bowl in the Tupperware container.

                                                iii.      Water should be hot, but not hot enough to burn you.

                                               iv.      (Remove yeast bowl from nested bath when kneading)

b.      Let yeast sit in nested bath for 10 minutes. You will notice that your yeast water has become very thick, bubbly, and frothy. This is perfect. Remove bowl from nested bath and remove plastic wrap top.

c.       If your bowl is not frothy, try again. There are many factors that could affect this. Most likely your yeast died. Either your initial water was too hot and it killed your yeast, or your environment was too cold so the yeast did not wake up and begin feeding. Another possibility is that your yeast was dead to begin with. Make sure you use fresh yeast that has been stored properly - as yeast does go bad.

4.       Add salt to the yeast water. Whisk with fork until well mixed.
5.       Add bread flour slowly. Mix with fork until difficult to mix. Knead dough with hands for a couple minutes until dough has absorbed all flour.

a.       Don’t add too much flour that the dough cannot absorb it all and leaves dusty traces. If this happens, add a little water until the dough absorbs the flour.

b.      The dough should be slightly sticky to the touch, not dried out, or too wet.

      6.    Knead dough vigorously for 2 minutes.
7.       Cover bowl with plastic wrap.
8.       Let sit on counter in a nested bowl with hot water (just like before) for 1 hour.
9.       Remove dough bowl from nested bowl.
10.    Remove plastic wrap from bowl.

11.   Separate dough into 12-15 medium or large balls.
12. Grab 1 dough ball and stick your index finger through the middle of the dough ball. Flatten dough around your finger to make a bagel ring.
13. Shape all the other dough balls the same way.
14. Once all bagel rings are made, add water to a large pot and bring water to a rolling boil.

15. Once water is boiling, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
16. Add 3-4 raw bagel rings to boiling water.

17. Let bagel rings boil for 1- 2 minutes depending on how chewy you want your bagels. Flip bagels over half way through boiling (I use a straining spoon to flip them over). I like leaving mine in for about 2 minutes since I like my bagels very chewy. Your bagel dough should double/triple in size while boiling.

18. Use a straining spoon to remove the bagels from the boiling water.
19. Place boiled bagels on parchment paper lined baking sheet (or Silpat baking mat).

20. Bake bagels for 20-40 minutes flipping bagels over at the 10-15 minute mark. Depending on how thick you make your bagels.
21. Bagels will start to turn slightly golden brown on each side, this is perfect. If you are unsure if they are done, remove one bagel from the baking sheet and open it carefully with a knife (it will be hot!). Check if it is raw inside.