Homemade Fresh Bagels - Great instructions and recipe for how to get your bagels perfect! What toppings would you choose? Sweet or Savory?

This delicious recipe has been generously shared by one of our great cooks, Carina. She's always coming up with great recipes which she either invents herself or adapts from various cookbooks to make her own.

Carina is a huge source of inspiration to our Lovefoodies Facebook group and always has a tasty recipe or two to share with us. Here, we have Carina's Homemade Bagels. Her original source for this wonderful recipe was adapted from the cookbook 'Essentials of Baking' by Williams - Sonoma.

Carina has added several tips and tricks along the way and explained how she has used the cookbook as inspiration for her Bagels. If you'd like to make a variety of bagels, check out our slightly sweeter Montreal Style Bagels recipe. It's so good!

So without further ado, let's see how Carina makes these delicious Homemade Bagels!
Recipe from Essentials of Baking' by Williams - Sonoma and adapted by Carina Duclos

Prep Time

2 ½ hours (includes rising time)

Cook Time

25 minutes

Yield

12 Bagels

Ingredients

2 large russet potatoes ( Do not panic! The bagels are not made of potatoes) peeled and cubed
2 ½ cups / 590 ml of water
5 tsp active yeast
¼ cup / 60 ml vegetable oil
4 eggs ( at room temperature)
7 ½ cups 1.6 kg of flour
1 ½ tablespoon salt
1 egg beaten
Sesame seeds/ poppy seeds ( for sprinkling) and optional of course

Instructions

1. In a saucepan combine the potatoes and water, bring to boil and cook until fork tender,..drain and RESERVE THE WATER!

2. Now,..I use my stand mixer to do this:

3. Measure two cups of the potato water into the bowl of the mixer and let cool to warm (110F/43C).

4. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let stand until foamy (about 5 minutes).

5. Add the oil and eggs and combine using a wire whisk.

6. Whisk in 2 cups of the flour and the salt until smooth ( a couple of minutes).

7. Place the bowl in the mixer, attach the dough hook and mix the remaining flour, 1 cup at the time until forming a soft dough. Knead the dough at LOW speed until smooth and elastic ( 5 to 7 minutes).

8. Remove the dough from the bowl, form into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for about an hour.

9. Punch down the dough and turn it to a lightly floured surface. Cut into quarters, and each quarter into 3 equal pieces. Using your palms roll each piece into a rope about 10 inches (25 cm) long. Using the heal of your hand flatten 1 inch of one end of each rope and form each bagel by overlapping the flat end of the rope over 1 inch of the other end that is round.

10. Set them aside in a floured surface, cover with a towel and let them rest for about 15 minutes. Get your over ready at 425 F (220 C)

11. Fill a large pot with a water and bring it to boil. Reduce the heat and maintain a gentle boil. Using a large slotted spoon, gently lower a few bagels into the water. Do not crowd the pot. Simmer 1 minute, then turn over and simmer for another minute.

12. Transfer the bagels to the pan that will go in the oven ( using parchment paper is the best). Do the same with all bagels. Space them about 1 inch apart on the pan. Brush them with the beaten egg and sprinkle the seeds.
Bake until golden brown for 25 to 30 minutes,...
Be ready to be amazed at how awesome they are!

Carina's Serving suggestions:
For serving ideas I would suggest toasted with cream cheese or sandwiches. I have them often with a fried egg and cheese My husband loves them with my homemade peanut butter.

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