Wheaty Bagels
Chewy, hearty bagels made with whole wheat and bread flour. Adapted from King Arthur’s bagel recipe.
- Prep Time: About 30 minutes hands-on, plus proofing time
- Cook Time: 22-25 Minutes
- Total Time: About 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 hours
- Yield: 8 to 10 bagels
- Category: Bread
- Method: Straight Dough
Ingredients
For the bagels:
- 100g whole wheat flour
- 100g warm water
- 380g bread flour
- 9g instant yeast
- 12g salt
- 14g brown sugar
- 203g warm water (yes, more water)
For boiling:
- About 7g (1/2 Tbsp) brown sugar per quart of water
Instructions
- Combine the whole wheat flour and 100g of water. Mix until thoroughly combined, then cover and let rest in a warm place for about 20-30 minutes.
- After resting, add the bread flour, yeast, salt, brown sugar, and 203g of water. Knead by hand or in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment until the dough is smooth and passes the windowpane test.
- Form dough into a smooth ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and proof in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size (about an hour)
- Divide dough into 8-10 equal portions, depending on how big you want your bagels. Shape bagels and place on a sheet tray lined with parchment or a silicone mat. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel and let rise about 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Fill a large pot with water and add brown sugar. Heat to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar.
- Drop bagels into boiling water, bottom side up, without overcrowding; it’s OK if bagels occasionally bump into each other but shouldn’t be touching constantly. Boil for 2 minutes. Flip and boil 1 more minute. Remove bagels with a strainer or spider, shaking off as much water as possible, and place on sheet pan.
- Bake 22-25 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool before slicing.
Notes
- Don’t slice bagels fresh out of the oven. Give the steam time to do its thing.
- For cheese, seeded, or everything bagels: take bagels out of the oven after about 15 minutes. Brush with egg wash, sprinkle on toppings, return to oven. You can sprinkle toppings on after boiling, while bagels are still wet; personally I think they get a little overcooked this way. It’s up to you.