How to make homemade bagels?

Almost as much as the Statue of Liberty, bagels symbolize New York. In both savory and sweet versions, they are infinitely versatile and ready in no time. Zoom in on the little sandwich that goes round.

What is a bagel?

A small round bun with holes, typically from New York. The bagel has become an ultra-classic sandwich in the United States, filled with fish, meat, vegetables…

The recipe for traditional bagels

For 10 bagels, start by mixing 750 g of flour (T55) with 1 tsp of instant baker’s yeast and 4 tsp of salt. Add 38 cl of water then 2 and a half tbsp of liquid honey and 30 ml of olive oil. Knead the dough for 10 minutes before dividing it into 10 balls. Stretch these into 25 cm long sausages, which are folded around the hand. Leave to rise for 2 hours at room temperature on an oiled baking sheet. Finally, poach the bagels for 2 minutes in a 3 l saucepan of boiling water with 1 tbsp of potato starch, 1 tbsp of brown sugar and 2 tbsp of salt. Place the bagels on a baking sheet covered with buttered baking paper and sprinkled with a pinch of corn flour, before placing them in the oven preheated to 225 °C/gas mark 8. Finally, lower the temperature to 215 °C/gas mark 7 and leave to cook for 20-25 minutes. Just before baking the bagels in the oven, you can also sprinkle them with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, chopped grilled onions or oats.

How to store your homemade bagels?

Fresh bagels freeze very well, cut in half. Reheat them in the toaster, just before filling them.

Four recipe ideas

When it comes to bagel toppings, the combinations are limitless.

For a classic bagelspread each slice with 25g of cream cheese, before arranging, in order or not, 70g of smoked salmon, a slice of red onion and two slices of tomato.

For a fish bagelopt for 300g of smoked trout, which is seasoned with 75ml of crème fraîche and 1 tbsp of mayonnaise, before adding 50g of chopped onions and 100g of celery.

In vegan versionwe prepare a tofu cream cheese (by mixing 30 g of raw cashew nuts + 30 g of silken tofu + 1 tsp of lemon juice + 1 tsp of water + salt), which we spread on our bread and garnish with slices of beetroot, avocado, dried tomatoes, and sprouts.

Want a pizza bagel in the colors of the United States? Simply grill half bagels topped with slices of mozzarella, 2 tablespoons of chopped tomato, 3 pitted black olives, 4 anchovy fillets and 1 teaspoon of oregano.

In a sweet version

Although savory bagels are most often eaten, they also lend themselves to many sweet variations. For example, you can enrich the dough with chocolate chips, spread it with Nutella, or add all sorts of fruits such as sliced bananas or blueberries. Also divine with raspberry jam, maple syrup, almond puree or any other vegetable butter, or with dough topped with raisins and cinnamon. In short, let your imagination run wild!

Next up: Pinterest’s top 10 bagels.