Aaron became a bagel expert every Sunday for his entire life. At age 5 he earned the nickname "the carbo kid". Tired of paying for bread and eating terrible West Coast bagels, he started making his own sourdough bread in 2016 inside his San Francisco apartment. Sourdough turned into pizza and pizza into bagels. Find the recipe broken down into easy steps and class recording for the bagels below!
Watch a recording of our class:
Bagel Recipe:
(yields 8 bagels)
Ingredients:
6g active dry yeast (>1 ½ tsp)
25g granulated sugar (⅛ cup)
390g ~110°F water (1 ⅔ cups)
570g bread flour (4 ¾ cups)
8g salt (>1 ¼ tsp or <½ Tbsp)
1 tsp Barley Malt (optional, for dough)
1 Tbsp Barley Malt (optional, for boiling)
Your favorite toppings
Directions:
Step 1: Prep the Ingredients
Put 6g (>1 ½ tsp) of yeast in a small bowl
Add 25g (⅛ cup) of sugar
Put 570g (4 ¾ cups) of flour into a large bowl or container
Add 8g (>1 ¼ tsp) of salt
Measure 390g (1 ⅔ cups) of ~110°F water into a large glass
Grab 1 tsp of barley malt (optional)
Step 2: Prep the Yeast
Take 150g (¾ cup) of water and add it to the yeast/sugar mix
Give a swirl with your finger
Kitchen Tip: Have a spatula handy for this step
Step 3: Mix the Dough
Make a well in the flour/salt mixture
Add the yeast mixture to the flour well
Mix by hand
Add the barley malt and half the remaining water
Mix by hand
Add the remaining water
Mix by hand
Step 4: Knead the Dough
Knead the dough for ~10 minutes
Pull the dough up, then press it down
Turn the bowl or container and repeat
After a few minutes, you can stretch the dough, then fold it back down on top
Turn the bowl and continue to repeat kneading
Cover with a cloth, top, or cling-wrap
Let the dough rise for ~1 hour, until it doubles in size
Step 5: Divide and Shape
Punch the dough down
Divide into 8 pieces (~125g each)
Pre-shape each piece into a round
Let rest for ~10 minutes
Shape each piece into a tight ball
Preheat oven to 450°F
Fill a large pasta pot with water, 1 Tbsp Barley Malt, and set to boil
Using a flowered finger, place a hole in the center of each ball and stretch slightly
Step 6: Boil and Top
Reduce the heat to a medium boil
Lower a few bagels into the water
Boil 1.5 minutes, then flip and boil another 1.5 minutes
Remove from water
Top with your favorite topping
Repeat until all 8 bagels are boiled and topped
Step 7: Bake
Place all 8 bagels on a parchment or oil lined cookie sheet
Bake 20-25 min until golden brown
Let cool, enjoy!
Kitchen Tip: Undercook the bagels for only 15 minutes, then immediately freeze them.
Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes when you’re ready to eat.
Aaron explains and demonstrates bagel making so well that even a novice could produce excellent results.