The Warm Kitchen Journal

There’s nothing quite like fresh, homemade bagels—chewy on the inside with a perfectly crisp crust. This recipe is simple and flexible, allowing you to customize with your favorite mix-ins and toppings. While these bagels can be made the same day, they develop even better flavor and texture if you let the dough rest overnight in the refrigerator after adding any mix-ins.

Makes 12 bagels
Dough
● 900–1,000 g bread flour (start with 900 g and only add more if needed—I used 920 g today)
● 550 g warm water
● 40 g barley malt syrup (or granulated sugar)
● 25 g salt
● 2¼ tsp instant yeast
● Any mix-ins you’d like (cheese, cinnamon raisins, jalapeños, etc.)
For Boiling
● 6 cups water
● 1 tbsp barley malt syrup
● 1 tbsp baking soda

Instructions
1. In a large bowl, combine the bread flour, water, barley malt syrup, salt, and instant yeast. Mix until a stiff dough forms. It will be a tough dough to mix by hand, but that’s how I prefer it.
2. Cover the dough and let it rest for 1 hour.
3. Punch the dough down, then perform one coil fold with wet hands. Cover again and let it rise until it is puffy and jiggles when the bowl is gently shaken.
4. If using any mix-ins, gently work them into the dough now. For best results, cover and refrigerate the dough overnight after adding the mix-ins.
5. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball and let them rest for 10 minutes.
6. Poke a hole through the center of each ball and gently stretch it into a bagel shape, leaving about a nickel-sized hole in the middle. Cover and let the bagels puff up again.
7. Preheat your oven to 500°F.
8. Bring the water, barley malt syrup, and baking soda to a gentle boil.
9. Boil each bagel for 30 seconds per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. While still damp, add your favorite toppings.
10. Bake for 12–16 minutes, or until the bagels are deep golden brown.
11. Let cool for a few minutes before slicing and enjoying!