Whole Wheat Bagels

“Who bakes their own bagels?” my mom asked.

Apparently me. Of all the things to make, it does seem a little silly. It’s not too hard to get delicious, fresh-baked bagels for cheap. But there’s a big difference between fresh-baked at a bakery and fresh-baked by your own hands in your own home.

While bagels may not be my favorite food (though they’re up there), they’re my most beloved, since I associate them with my best friend in the whole wide world.

As I started comparing recipes, I soon discovered that even at the basic level none of them agreed on anything. Not how much yeast or sugar to use in proportion to the flour, not how long to let the dough sit for, not how long to boil them, not how long to bake them or at what temperature. So, a little skeptical about the hopes for the edibility of my final product, I improvised and, hurray, it worked!

1 packet yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1. Dissolve yeast into warm water. Stir in sugar. Add 1/2 cup all-purpose flour. Let sit for 10 minutes.
2. Add the whole wheat flour, then the salt, and then the all-purpose flour a little at a time, adding a little bit more water as necessary to get all flour to form dough.
3. Knead the dough on a floured surface for 10 minutes. Cover with damp cloth and let sit for 20 minutes.
4. Divide dough into 8 balls. Make holes in center of balls and form bagel shapes. Cover loosley with plastic wrap and let sit 1 hour.
5. Bring a large pot of water + 1 tablespoon sugar to a boil. Boil bagels a few at a time, for about 5 minutes each, turning often with a slotted spoon. Remove and dry.
6. Place on greased, corn meal-covered baking sheet. Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes, placing another baking sheet underneath after the first 10 minutes to prevent burnt bottoms.
6. Mm, fresh bread!

Next time I’m making sourdough bagels, since sourdough > all other bread, and they’re not quite so easy to find, especially not on this coast.