Homemade Everything Bagels

There are few things I like more in life than everything bagel seasoning. I love everything bagels! As a teenager I worked at Bruegger's Bagels and sometimes by friends Kai and Bacilio would let me help make the bagels! It was a process! Bringing the bagels to room temp, boiling in water and cooking in that hot oven..those bagels hot out of the oven are unlike anything else on this planet. They are a gift! Last year our Brueggers in town closed and I was devastated. I miss having those delicious bagels around and decided to recreate them at home. After all, NOTHING is better than a fresh, warm bagel in the morning.

Adapted from Food52 recipe.

Recipe

3 1/2 cups King Arthur Flour (this is my preferred flour)

3 tsp sea salt

3/4 teaspoon dry active yeast

1 tbs organic honey

1 cup warm water

(heat water in a kettle and mix 1/2 cup hot water with 1/2 cold water)

1 tsp baking soda

Whole Foods 365 Everything Bagel Seasoning or Trade Joe's everything but the bagel seasoning

• Mix flour, salt, yeast, honey and the water (either in a standing mixer or by hand). Mixer makes the dough more smooth, so if you have a mixer go for it! If it feels way too dry, you can add a touch more water...1 tbs at a time. Don't add anymore than 2 tbs additional water to the dough.
• Let dough rest 5 minutes
• Knead with very little flour for 3 minutes (if you over-flour you will have lumpy bagels)
• Coat mixing bowl in 1 tbs olive oil and put dough ball in the oiled bowl.
• Cover with plastic wrap. 
• Put in fridge (or parchment with rubber band holding it on since no one can find plastic wrap right now!)
• Take dough out in 4 hours and cut dough into 6 even pieces.
• Roll into Balls.
• Roll into logs with rolling pin (about 9 inches). Do not use flour on your working surface! Sounds weird I know, but trust me.
• Turn into a circle using this Video Tutorial.
• Place formed bagels onto baking sheet lined with buttered parchment.

Leave overnight.

• Wake up super early and take the bagels out 1.5 hours before you want them.
• They need to come to room temp and get soft. So if you eat breakfast at 7 am, I am sorry but you need to get your booty up at 5: 30 am!
• When bagels have come to room temp, drop one in a bowl of cold water to see if it floats. If not wait longer and try again! They have to float or your bagels will suck!

Heat the oven to 500 degrees.

• Drop the bagels into a pot of simmering water with 1 tsp baking soda and 1 tsp sea salt added. Cook on 1 side for 1 minute.
• Flip Bagels.
• Cook 30 second more.
• Remove with slotted spoon and put back on the parchment lined baking sheet.
• Sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning. You can use egg whites to help the seeds stick, but this is Coronavirus times and eggs are precious. You don't have to do egg whites unless you like your bagels extra glossy.

Turn oven down to 450.

Bake bagels for 20 minutes, rotating half way through baking. I am not going to tell you to wait until they cool to eat! At Bruegger's, we sure didn't. You can toast them while they are still warm, but be careful not to burn your fingers! I prefer mine un-toasted when they are warm, with unsalted butter, or with plain cream cheese for the kids.