Bagels are one of my favorite things to make from scratch- if you’ve never done, now is the perfect time! They are crisp on the outside, super chewy on the inside, plus you can use any toppings you like.
This is a recipe from my second cookbook- if you don’t have your hands on a copy you can find High-Altitude Breakfast here, or in your local bookstores. This is one of my absolute favorite recipes from that book and it’s the perfect breakfast treat for this weekend. Let’s get to it!
How to Make High-Altitude Bagels
The ingredients for homemade bagels are super simple- starting with the dough we’re working with some warm water, active dry yeast, sugar, honey, flour, and salt. The egg gets used to brush over the tops of the bagels before they go into the oven.
First up, it’s time to bloom the yeast in your warm water along with some honey and sugar. You don’t have to do this step if you know your yeast is fresh, but I usually don’t skip it just to be sure. The mixture should become slightly foamy and puffy once it’s activated.
Then add in the flour and salt, and start kneading the dough until it’s well combined. It will be shaggy at first, like in the first picture below, but after you’ve kneaded the dough for about 5-10 minutes, it will become more smooth and elastic.
I like to gently shape the dough into a ball and then pop it back in the bowl to rise. You want the dough to almost double in size- I like to snap a quick picture on my phone to remember what it looked like when I started- you can see the before after below.
Once the dough has risen, it’s time to divide it into 6 relatively even pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Using an un-floured surface, you can gently roll the dough into a ball underneath your hand- the tension from the surface will help seal up any open edges on the bottom.
Take each piece and press a hole into the center, slowly stretching the dough and forming it into a bagel shape. You want to make the hole in the center larger than you might think- it will close up as the dough rises and cooks.
Once the dough has rested, it’s time to boil and bake. The first step is to boil each bagel for about 30 seconds per side in a mixture of water and honey. The dough will puff slightly in this process.
Once all the bagels have been boiled and placed onto your baking sheet, brush them all thoroughly with the egg wash and sprinkle on your toppings of choice. I like to use red pepper flakes, everything bagel seasoning, dried dill, or even just leave a few bagels plain. Pop them into the oven and bake until everything is deeply golden brown and crisp.
You can enjoy these bagels any way you’d like- filled with cream cheese or butter, stacked with sandwich fillings, toasted or not. They are chewy and crisp on the outside- the perfect homemade bagel. Enjoy!
Tips & Tricks for the Perfect High-Altitude Bagels
Here are my tips to help along the way!
- Do I have to use active dry yeast? You can use instant yeast as well if you prefer, and then skip the step of blooming the yeast mixture.
- How do I know when the bagels have proofed enough? For the first rise, you want to let the dough nearly double in size. For the second rise, you just want to see a little puffing before you boil the bagels.
- Do I need to use honey? The honey helps contribute to the flavor of the dough, and in the boiling process it helps contribute to the browning of the bagels as they bake. Don’t skip it!
- Do I need to do the boiling step? This step helps create the crisp crust on the outside of the bagels, and the chewy texture on the inside. It will give your bagels that signature texture, so don’t skip this step!
- Can I just make plain bagels? Yes, you can skip the toppings and just do an egg wash if you don’t want to add toppings and you’ll end up with beautiful bagels.
- How do I know when the bagels have boiled enough? They should be puffy all over- you want to boil each bagel for about 30 seconds per side before removing from the water and placing them on a baking sheet.
- Do I have to use the egg wash? The egg wash helps the bagels brown properly so don’t skip this step.
- How do I know when the bagels are finished baking? The bagels should be deeply golden brown and puffed all over. You want to let them bake long enough that they reach a deep color. If you have an instant read thermometer, they should reach 200 degrees internally.
- I am at about 5,000 ft. above sea level and I find that most people who live between about 3,000-7,000 ft. above sea level do not need to make any adjustments to my recipes.
High-Altitude Bagels
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 tbs sugar
- 3 tbs honey separated
- 3 3/4 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp. water
- Seasonings to top as desired
Instructions
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In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the warm water, active dry yeast, sugar, and 1 tbs. of honey. Let this mixture sit for 5-10 minutes, or until it becomes foamy. Add in 3 1/2 cups of flour, and the salt, and knead together until a shaggy dough forms.
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If you're mixing by hand, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and begin to knead by hand for about 15 minutes, adding more flour if the dough is extremely sticky to the touch. The dough should be slightly tacky still. If you are using a stand mixer, use the dough hook to knead the dough for about 10 minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic. The dough should be pulling away from the sides of the bowl but sticking slightly to the bottom of the bowl as it kneads.
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Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Rise for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until the dough has almost doubled in size.
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Turn the dough out onto your work surface and divide it into 6 even portions. On an un-floured work surface, shape each portion into a ball, and roll the seam-side down on your counter to seal it, and to create a taught ball of dough. Then, press a hole into the center of each dough ball, and stretch it out to form your bagel. You'll want to make the holes a bit bigger than you think they need to be- they will close up as they rise and cook.
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Place each bagel onto a lightly greased baking sheet and cover with plastic for the second rise. This should take about 20 minutes, or until the bagels are just starting to look puffy. Alternatively, you can also put the bagels into the fridge, and rise them for about 4 hours.
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Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Fill a large, high-walled skillet or a pot with about 3 inches of water and stir in the remaining 2 tbs. of honey. Bring the mixture to a low boil. Boil each bagel for about 30 seconds on each side, and then place the bagels on your lined baking sheet. They will be a little puffy and slippery coming out of the boiling water.
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In a small bowl, beat your egg with 1 tbs of water until well combined. Generously brush each bagel with your egg wash all over. Then, top your bagel with your seasonings of choice; I love to use everything bagel seasoning, red pepper flakes, dried dill, or za’atar. Bake the bagels for 20-22 minutes, or until they reach a deep golden-brown color. Cool and enjoy!
Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!
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