Basic Bagel
By: Anonymous
Published: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 - 6:52pm

Ingredients




2 cups Warm water
2 pkts Active dry yeast
3 tablespoons Sugar
3 teaspoons Salt
cup Flour
3 quarts Water
1 tablespoon Sugar
Cornmeal to sprinkle baking sheet
1 Egg yolk
1 tablespoon Water

Preparation

1 Combine warm water, yeast and sugar. Let stand 5 minutes, stir in salt. 2 Gradually mix in 4 cups of flour, beat at medium speed for 5 minutes. With spoon add 1 1/4 cups more flour to make a stiff dough. Turn out on a floured board and knead until smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky (about 15 minutes), adding more flour as needed. Dough should be firmer than for most yeast breads. Place in a greased bowl, cover, let rise until almost doubled 3 (about 40 minutes). Knead dough lightly and divide into 12 equal pieces. To shape, knead each piece, forming it into a smooth ball. Holding ball with both hands, poke your thumbs through the center. With one thumb in hole, work around perimeter, shaping bagel like a doughnut 3 to 3 1/2 inches across. Place shaped bagels on lightly floured board, cover lightly and let stand in a warm place for 20 minutes. Bring the 3 quarts of water and 1 Tbsp sugar to boiling in large kettle. Adjust heat to keep it boiling gently. 4 Lightly grease baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Gently lift one bagel at a time and drop into water, boil about 4 at a time, turning often, for 5 minutes. Lift out with slotted spatula, drain briefly on a towel and place on baking sheet. Brush with glaze made with 1 egg yolk and 1 Tbsp water. Bake 35 - 40 minutes, or until well browned and crusty. Cool on rack. 5 WHOLE WHEAT BAGELS: Follow basic recipe, omitting sugar. Use 3 Tbsp honey instead. In place of flour, use 2 cups whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup wheat germ, and about 2 3/4 cup all purpose flour, blended together. Knead with white flour. 6 PUMPERNICKEL BAGELS: Follow basic recipe, omitting sugar. Use 3 Tbsp dark molasses in place ofsugar. In place of flour use 2 cups rye, 2 cups whole wheat, 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour blended together. Knead with white flour. 7 ONION BAGELS: Add 1/2 cup instant toasted onion to basic dough with the yeast , water and sugar in basic recipe. 8 SEEDED BAGELS: Sprinkle boiled bagels with sesame seed, poppy seed, or caraway seed after using egg wash and before baking.