Homemade BAGELS!
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been cooking and baking up a storm. It’s one of the only activities that calms me down and gets me out of my own head. Lately, when I start to feel overwhelmed, I’m defaulting to two things: whipping something up in the kitchen or having my own dance party (not even kidding - blast music and dance around for a few minutes and it does a hell of a job - even if only for a few minutes).
Aside from Tex-Mex, everything bagels or salt bagels are my absolute FAVORITE. So, when I was thinking “what should I bake next?”, I was both intimidated and excited to make New York style bagels at home.
I’m not going to lie, it’s time consuming, but it’s really not too difficult if you follow the directions. It mostly requires patience. It may be shocking to learn I’m not the world’s most patient person (gasp!), so I really had to remind myself to be in the moment and allow the bagels to rise - boil - etc. in order to bake correctly. Which, if you think about it, is kind of a nice reminder about life as well - it’s important to give yourself time to work through things, especially today, with the current state of the world.
I followed King Arthur’s bagel recipe and they turned out MUCH better than I was expecting! I’m really proud of them and would easily make them again. I recommend doubling the recipe, though, because I wish I had more bagels for all the time I spent making them. Bagels keep in the freezer, so if you make a bigger batch, you can always put some in a ziploc and save them for when you next want them.
In addition to trying this new recipe, I thought it would also be fun to experiment with time-lapse videos, so I recorded a few steps during this recipe. It’s my first time doing this, but please find those videos below, and let me know if you have any questions. I’m still learning a lot as I go, but I am happy to help. Ultimately, I love that recipes connect people - so let’s get baking/cooking!
Time-lapse Video #1: Once your dough has risen for 1.5 hours, it’s time to get going. In this clip, you’ll see how I separate the dough.
Time-lapse Video #2: Once your separated dough has risen for another 30 minutes, it’s time to boil them! Here’s how to do it.
Time-lapse Video #3: Once your bagels are boiled, it’s time to prep them for the oven by adding some toppings! I mixed 1 egg white with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush it on the bagel and add whatever seasoning you like. I used “Everything but the Bagel” seasoning (which you can find at Trader Joes or Costco) and some kosher salt.
Time-lapse Video #4: After your bagels are done baking, move them to a cooling rack. If you don’t have a cooling rack, no problem. Just move them to a separate plate to cool. Ultimately, you just want to get them off the hot cookie sheet so they stop baking. I recommend slicing one while it’s hot & enjoying with some butter!