The GüdDish Bagels

We studied 217 recipes from around the world and combined the most robust 14. Then we built the BEST!

Bagels. The GüdDish.

Serves 8 bagels · 30–40 min prep · 140–155 min total · 4 steps

Ingredients

Ingredients for Bagels
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 cups warm water
  • 2 tbs sesame seeds
  • 4 cups bread flour
  • 2 1/4 tsp instant or active dry yeast
  • 1 tbs barley malt syrup
  • 2 tsp kosher salt

What the best recipes taught us

  • Stretch the hole to about 2 inches. If the hole is too small, it will bake shut.
  • Boil a few bagels at a time. If you crowd the pot, they stick and the skin will not set.

Method

  1. 1
    Smooth risen bagel dough ball in a bowl
    11/2cwarm water
    21/4tspinstant or active dry yeast
    1tspbarley malt syrup
    2tspkosher salt
    4cbread flour

    Warm the water until it feels just warm to the touch, not hot.

    In a large bowl, stir the yeast into the water with 1 teaspoon of the barley malt syrup. Let it sit until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.

    Stir in the salt.

    Add the flour and mix until a stiff dough forms. Knead until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes.

    Cover and let rise until puffy, about 1 hour.

  2. 2
    Eight bagel rings on two bare baking sheets

    Heat the oven to 425°F. Set out two baking sheets.

    Punch down the dough and divide into 8 equal pieces.

    Roll each piece into a tight ball. Poke a hole through the center with your thumb and stretch it to about 2 inches. Set on the sheets, cover, and rest 10 to 15 minutes.

  3. 3
    Bagels boiling a few at a time in a wide pot
    2tspbarley malt syrup
    1egg
    2tbssesame seeds

    Bring a wide pot of water to a boil.

    Stir the remaining 2 teaspoons of barley malt syrup into the water.

    Working a few at a time, boil each bagel 30 to 45 seconds per side.

    Lift out with a slotted spoon, drain, and return to the baking sheets.

    In a bowl, beat the egg. Brush it on the bagels.

    Sprinkle with sesame seeds while the surface is still wet.

  4. 4
    Eight baked sesame bagels on a cooling rack

    Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until deep golden and the bottoms sound hollow.

    Cool on a rack at least 20 minutes before you split them.