WhiskItLab logoWhiskItLabBaking × Chemistry
USA · North America

Bagels

Boil first, bake second: two ordered stages, one chewy crust.

Intermediate#24 most lovedUses: Two-Step Sequential Process Control
homemade New York bagelsboiled and baked bagels

The Chemistry in This Bake

Boiling the shaped dough briefly before baking it — two distinct, ordered thermal treatments, each required for the final texture.

Learn the full technique →

Ingredients

  • Bread flour
  • Instant yeast
  • Salt
  • Barley malt syrup (or sugar)
  • Warm water
  • Baking soda (for boiling)
  • Toppings (sesame, poppy seeds)

Method

  1. Knead a stiff dough and let it rise slowly, preferably overnight in the fridge.

  2. Divide into balls, poke a hole, and stretch into rings; rest 20 minutes.

  3. Preheat the oven to 230 °C and bring a wide pot of water with baking soda to a boil.

  4. Boil each bagel 60-90 seconds per side, flipping once.

  5. Drain, add toppings, and transfer to a baking sheet.

  6. Bake 18-22 minutes until deeply golden and shiny.