About this recipe

Chewy, golden, and satisfying — these classic New York-style bagels are made from scratch with a simple yeasted dough, boiled in a honey-malt water bath for that iconic shiny crust, then baked to perfection. This well-tested recipe is approachable for home bakers and produces a tight, dense crumb with a beautifully chewy bite. Top them with sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning, poppy seeds, or keep them plain. They're best fresh out of the oven but freeze beautifully for weekday mornings.

Instructions

1. 1

   In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm water around 110°F, active dry yeast, and granulated sugar. Stir gently and let sit for 5–8 minutes until foamy and fragrant. If it doesn't foam, your active dry yeast may be dead — start over with fresh active dry yeast.

2. 2

   Add the bread flour and fine salt to the active dry yeast mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon or the dough hook attachment until a shaggy dough forms, then knead by hand on a lightly floured surface (or with the dough hook on ^[medium speed]) for 8–10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, stiff, and only slightly tacky. Bagel dough is much stiffer than bread dough — resist adding too much extra water.

3. 3

   Lightly oil a large mixing bowl. Place the dough inside, turn to coat, and cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Let rise at room temperature for 60–90 minutes, until roughly doubled in size.

4. 4

   Punch down the risen dough and turn it out onto a clean surface. Divide it into 8 equal pieces (about 100–110g each if you have a kitchen scale). Shape each piece into a smooth, tight ball by pulling the dough under itself and pinching the bottom.

5. 5

   To shape each bagel: poke your thumb through the center of a dough ball to create a hole, then gently stretch the ring with both index fingers, rotating it until the hole is about 2 inches wide. The hole will shrink during proofing and baking, so go a little larger than you think you need. Place shaped bagels on two parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

6. 6

   Cover the bagels loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for 15–20 minutes at room temperature. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to ![425°F] and bring the boiling bath ingredients to a boil in a large wide pot.

7. 7

   Combine the water, barley malt syrup (or honey), baking soda, and granulated sugar in a large wide pot. Bring to a full rolling boil over ^[high heat]. The baking soda and barley malt syrup are key — they give bagels their characteristic chew, dark crust, and slightly malty flavor.

8. 8

   Working in batches of 2–3 at a time, carefully lower the bagels into the boiling water using a slotted spoon or spider strainer. Boil for 1 minute on the first side, then flip and boil for another 1 minute. For a chewier crust, boil up to 2 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and return to the parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

9. 9

   While the bagels are still wet from the water bath, brush the tops and sides with the beaten large egg wash. Immediately sprinkle with your desired toppings — sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning, poppy seeds, coarse salt, or leave them plain.

10. 10

    Bake at ![425°F] for 20–25 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the bagels are deep golden brown all over. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before slicing — the interior is still setting up as they cool.