Today started out just about as well as possible here. I woke up to find the sun shining and warm spring temps in air. We finally (finally, finally!) closed on our refi yesterday after spending what felt like an eternity going through the process of getting there – yay for saving money! The Bruins play game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals tonight – just ONE win away from the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1990. Oh, and I also had a delicious bagel for breakfast 🙂
I made bagels for the first time a little over a year ago and loved them; I had big plans to try other flavors/recipes asap. With countless other recipes on that to-do list, those plans kept getting pushed off until finally I was inspired by a post over on Kristin’s site for these whole wheat bagels. The recipe looked relatively simple, and I loved that it incorporated white whole wheat flour, whose milder flavor I find much more pleasant in baked goods than traditional whole wheat flour. Plus, Jeannette agreed to make them with me, which gave me the final push I needed.
Bagel dough tends to be stiffer than most other yeast doughs, and I’m always wary of burning out the motor on my mixer (I’ve heard horror stories) so I started this dough by hand. Once I got a sense for the consistency though, I suspected the mixer could handle it so I switched over and didn’t have any issues. The instructions below reflect my use of the mixer but feel free to make the dough by hand too, just be aware you’ll probably be kneading for a while. When it came time to shape the bagels, I abandoned the rope method (roll the dough into a rope & connect the ends to form a circle) I used last time in favor of trying something else. With the alternate method, you just poke a hole in the center of each piece of dough and stretch it. I found it much easier and would definitely rely on this technique next time over the rope method.
If you’re anything like me, you might not read all the way through recipe before starting so I feel it’s my duty to warn you these bagels do need 12-24 hours in the refrigerator before they can be boiled and baked. That just means that you can make them on Saturday night and on Sunday morning have freshly baked bagels for breakfast! When toasted, the bagels had a slightly crisp exterior with a soft, chewy interior and pleasant wheat flavor, but nothing harsh or overwhelming. They freeze well too if you want to stash some away for another time.
Whole Wheat Bagels
adapted slightly from King Arthur Flour (via The Kitchen Sink Recipes)
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
2 cups warm water (about 110 F)
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon diastatic malt powder (optional) (I omitted)
3 cups (12 3/4 oz) bread flour
3 cups (12 3/4 oz) white whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon salt
In a large measuring cup, dissolve the yeast in the water and add both sugars and the malt (if using). Add 1 cup of the bread flour to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook then pour the yeast mixture over the flour and let sit for 10 minutes. Add all of the white whole wheat flour to the mixer bowl and beat to incorporate. With the mixer on low, add the salt, then the remaining bread flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl (you may not need all of the bread flour, depending on conditions in your kitchen). Continue kneading on low speed until the dough is really smooth, satiny and springy, about 10 minutes. Cover the dough with a damp towel, and let rest for 20 minutes.
Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces – I used my scale to weigh the dough and then figure out how big each piece should be, but you can definitely eyeball it. Working with one piece of dough at a time, shape it into a ball and then use your fingers to poke a hole in the middle. Gently stretch the dough until the hole is about 2 inches big. Place the bagel on a baking sheet that’s been dusted with cornmeal. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough. Cover the baking sheet lightly with plastic and let the bagels rise for 30 minutes. Secure the plastic around the edges of the pan so the bagels won’t dry out then put the baking sheet in the fridge for 12-24 hours.
When you’re ready to bake, remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator and let rest at room temperature for 45 minutes. While the bagels are resting, bring a large pot of water to a boil, and preheat oven to 450 F.
Add two or three bagels at a time to the boiling water (depending on the size of your pot) and cook for about 1 minute, or until they’ve risen to the top. Remove and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once you’ve boiled all of the bagels, bake them for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they’re brown and their internal temperature registers at least 180 F on an instant-read thermometer. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Makes 12 bagels
I LOVE homemade bagels! The only trouble I had when making them for the first time was that the dough was so stiff my wrists started to hurt kneading it! Totally worth it though.
Yummmy! I will be making these for memorial weekend. They look fantastic. Congrats on closing the refi, we are doing house stuff too, its such a headache!
I love making my own bagels, and I’ve been eyeing the King Arthur recipe for a while. It’s amazing what a slow rise in the fridge can do for bagels, so I’m thinking this would be a recipe I’d love. Have fun watching the game tonight!
I have wanted to try making bagels, but they are something that always gets pushed down my “to make” list too. Yours look great!
Congrats on the refi, it’s taking us forever to do it.
Those are the tastiest-looking homemade bagels I’ve ever seen! Delish!
Ohhh bagels are my favorite. The staff at Murray’s in New York knew me by first name and my usual order (whole wheat everything bagel + scrambled eggs + bacon + ketchup, please). I’m going to have to try these…maybe this weekend 🙂
This looks awesome. I’ll try this when I’m feeling very ambitious 🙂
Still dying to make bagels – maybe this weekend needs to be the weekend!
I have always wanted to try making homemade bagels. Your recipe looks great!
As if you made bagels! Amazing! So creative.
Like you I have been wanting to make more bagels since the first time. And since they are whole wheat that is a good motivator to make some more. Thanks.
Great Pics!
I am in awe of you for making bagels – they turned out perfectly!
And yes, we are counting down the Bruins wins over here ourselves…I hope they do well tonight. If so, Scott will probably wear his jersey to work tomorrow, no kidding.
These are beautiful! Bagels are on my “list” of things to make and you make it seem pretty simple, can’t wait to give it a shot!
I love homemade bagels, and I agree that they are totally worth the effort. I only made them once (for BBA challenge) but gosh, I came *this close* to frying the motor on my KA. Your bagels look fantastic, and I love that you made the healthy whole wheat version!
I haven’t made bagels since my very early blogging days…but I still remember how delish they were! I should re-make…yours look great!
I have never made homemade bagels. You make it look so easy! I may have to give it a try!
-Aimee
HOMEMADE BAGELS?!?!?! Oh the possibilities! Thanks!
I haven’t really attempted many yeast breads but I like the idea of challenging myself with bagels. I think your would make the perfect breakfast.
I made bagels many years ago when my baking and bread-making skills weren’t very good. I should try again soon. I like your idea of poking a hold in the middle rather than making a rope – I have a feeling that wouldn’t work well for me.
Thank you for this recipe! We are dedicated to eating whole grains as much as possible and these bagel would be a really welcome to change to our morning breakfast routine.
I can’t believe that picture is a homemade bagel…wow…very impressive T :).
I’ve really been wanting to make bagels again. Maybe I’ll actually get to it this weekend. Yours look really yummy!
Wow would you look at the texture of those bagels! Fantastic.
I’ve just made and …..eaten them! They are delicious! A hit!
Lulu