How to make the best bagels ever

Fresh bagels are the best! PAT PILCHER explains how to make the best bagels ever, and it’s not so hard!

There’s nothing quite like bagels for breakfast or lunch. Served fresh and hot, with a delicious filling of bacon, lettuce and tomatoes with avocado or smoked salmon, cream cheese and onion, they’re an incredible and satisfying eat.

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While you could just go out and buy bagels, chances are the bought ones are not that fresh and will taste incredibly bland and tough compared to the soft bouncy and delicious flavour of freshly baked bagels.

Here’s the Thermomix version of this recipe, followed by the non-Thermomix version. Cooking with the Thermomix is a game-changer. Not only does it take you through the cooking process with bomb-proof step by step instructions, but everything is weighed, kneaded and all the hard work is done for you. Perfect food, and nutritious with minimal effort!

1 cup lukewarm water
¾ tsp active dry yeast
240g bread flour
1 ½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp vegetable oil, plus extra to grease
1 ½ tsp barley malt syrup (in NZ this can be substituted with Golden Syrup)
water, to boil
1 tbsp baking soda
sesame seeds, to sprinkle

Steps (Thermomix)

Place water and yeast into Thermomix mixing bowl and warm 2 min/38°C/speed 1
Add flour, salt, oil and barley malt and mix 20 sec/speed 3. Then knead for 3 min. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and divide into six equal-sized pieces. Roll into balls and cover with oiled cling wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.
Roll into balls and cover with oiled cling wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.
Line a baking tray with parchment.
Push the end of a wooden spoon or your thumb through the centre of each dough ball and stretch into bagels.
Place the bagels on a prepared baking tray and cover with oiled cling wrap. Leave at room temperature for 20 minutes until they just begin to rise.
Preheat oven to 260°C.
Fill a large deep pot about with water, add baking soda and bring to a gentle boil.
Place bagels into gently boiling water, two or three at a time. Boil for 1 minute, then flip over with a slotted spoon and boil for another minute. Drain on a rack and sprinkle with seeds as desired, while boiling the remaining bagels.
Return boiled bagels to the prepared baking tray and bake for 8 minutes (260°C). Reduce oven temperature to 230°C then bake a further 6-8 minutes until lightly browned.
Allow to cool on a wire rack and serve.

Keen to find out more about cooking with Thermomix? Click here.

Steps (Non-Thermomix)

Place lukewarm water and yeast into a large mixing bowl and stir, leaving for 2 minutes to activate the yeast.
Add flour, salt, oil and barley malt and mix using a fork until a dough forms. Knead for a further 5-7 mins.
Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface, roll it out into a chunky sausage and divide it into six equal-sized pieces. Roll those into balls and cover with Gladwrap and leave them for 20 minutes.

Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Push the end of a wooden spoon or use your thumb to make a hole through the centre of each dough ball. Stretch the ball into a bagel shape.
Place on a prepared baking sheet and cover with oiled Gladwrap. Leave at room temperature for 20 minutes until they begin to rise.
Preheat your oven to 260°c.
Fill a large deep pot with water, add the tablespoon of baking soda and bring to a gentle boil.

Place bagels into gently boiling water, two or three at a time.
Boil for 1 minute, then flip over with a slotted spoon and boil for another minute.
Place each bagel to drain on a rack, sprinkle it with sesame seeds, while boiling the remaining bagels.

Sesame seeds – a sprinkle here, a sprinkle there

Return boiled bagels to the prepared baking tray and bake for 8 minutes (260°c).
Reduce oven temperature to 230°c then bake a further 6-8 minutes until lightly browned.
Cool on a wire rack and serve.

Expert tip – Use a Thermomix!

If you’re lucky enough to own a Thermomix, making bagels becomes almost effortless. Thermomix owners can find the recipe here, and add it to their bookmarked recipes (or save it to the collection in the Thermomix’s memory). AWESOME!