And no, I’ve never had a real, baked in NY, bagel. But I’m an avid reader. And I’ve read many a line waxing poetic about NY bagels by a New York city dwelling protagonist. So, when I decided to research how to make a non-sourdough, New York style, “everything” seasoning bagel, I started by researching, you guessed it, New York style bagel recipes. (Clever of me, don’t you think!) But what the heck makes New York style bagels any different than say, Baltimore style bagels? Or Camano Island style bagels for that matter? And guess what I found? NY style bagels are purported to be very chewy, but not overly doughy. And often topped with a savory, crunchy mixture of ingredients. Oh baby, just exactly what I love most about bagels. And not at all like some of the bagel wannabe products you find in most grocery stores in America. So, next requirement – ease of preparation.

If I’m going to start making New York style bagels on a regular basis, they better be pretty darn easy to prepare! (That old, I’m getting lazier and lazier thing rearing its ugly head again!) So, I glommed a couple three recipes together, and this recipe is the result. And I must say, I dare you to find a better bagel. (At least on Camano Island.) Or an easier bagel to prepare! (And not just on Camano Island!) And delicious? You bet!

So, if you’ve been putting off bagel making because you thought if was outside your skill set, think again. This recipe is easy to achieve. And the rewards are plentiful. Just the look on a family member’s face when they first bite into a toasted, cream cheese smeared bagel at breakfast is enough to cause the maker to feel good all day. And the money you will save making your own bagels? I figure, 1 homemade bagel probably costs about $.20. If you buy a boutique bagel, you are going to spend anywhere from $.75 to $1.25 a crack! Maybe even more! So, you do the math! Of course, your time is worth something. But I don’t know about you, but I get the same amount of money if I prepare something in the kitchen or read a book in the den. Zero!

As always, spend your time wisely. Be productive. But each and every day spend some time just for yourself. Even if it’s only 30 minutes. I make deals with myself. If I clean the bathrooms and dust, then I allow myself the same amount of time to read that afternoon. I realize that kind of luxury is sometimes impossible unless you are retired. But even when I was a working mother, I always found at least 30 minutes a day to read. That little bit of time for myself each day helped me keep my sanity. Because “mommy” at work (aka manager) and “mommy” at home, can be very stressful. Time out to be just Patti was imperative!

Peace and love to all.   

4 c. bread flour

2 tsp. instantdry yeast

4 tsp. granulated sugar

1½ tsp. fine sea salt

1¼ c. warm water

extra virgin olive oil

1 egg white, beaten (if you are going to add a topping before baking)  

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix 3½ cups of the bread flour, yeast, sugar, and salt together. 

Slowly add the warm water. Knead the dough until it forms a ball and cleans the bottom of the bowl using additional flour as needed. Work until the dough is smooth, elastic, and a quite stiff.  

Pour a bit of the olive oil around the dough, and using your fingers and a stiff rubber spatula, form the dough into a ball lightly coated with the oil.

Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and a tea towel. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size. Punch the dough down, and let it rest for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, divide the dough into 8 equal sized pieces. Shape the bagels by forming each piece into a ball and using your thumb, punch a hole through the middle of the ball, stretching out the dough to make the center hole larger. Set the shaped bagels on a lightly greased, parchment paper lined large baking sheet. If the holes start to fill, stretch them out by hand. Cover with a tea towel and allow to rest for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Fill a large 12-inch skillet ½ to ¾ full of water. Bring the water to a boil. When the water is boiling, drop the bagels, 4 at a time, into the boiling water. Boil for 90 seconds on each side. Using a slotted spatula, remove the bagels from the boiling water and place  back on the parchment paper lined baking sheet at least 1-inch apart.

To add a topping, lightly slather each bagel with beaten egg white, then sprinkle on your choice of topping. (See list below of some of the usual topping suspects.)    

Bake for 18-20 minutes in your pre-heated oven until a light golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

Bagel Topping:

• Sesame seeds
• Poppy seeds
• Coarse salt (I use kosher salt)
• Everything Seasoning (see recipe below)

“EVERYTHING” SEASONING

2 T. poppy seeds

2 T. sesame seeds

1 T. dried finely minced onion (I crush the dehydrated onion in my mortar and pestle before adding it to the other ingredients)

1 tsp. granulated garlic

1 tsp. kosher salt

Mix all ingredients together and store in an air-tight container.