Alpha Gal Friendly Bagels (Boiled and Baked)
Chewy, golden, and deeply satisfying, these boiled-and-baked bagels are the real deal — the kind you'd wait in line for at a proper bakery. For anyone managing alpha-gal syndrome, homemade is often the safest route, since store-bought breads and baked goods can contain hidden mammal-derived ingredients like lard, dairy, or certain dough conditioners. This recipe keeps things clean: the dough relies on bread flour, yeast, and barley malt syrup, while the egg white wash is the only animal-derived ingredient in the mix — and it comes from poultry, which is safe for this condition. The boiling step is what sets a true bagel apart from an impostor, giving the crust that signature chew and sheen before it ever hits the oven. Barley malt syrup in both the dough and the boiling water adds a subtle, almost caramel-like depth that makes these taste genuinely bakery-worthy. Top them with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or everything bagel seasoning and you've got a breakfast staple you can actually trust. Once you pull a tray of these out of the oven, crackling and bronzed, you'll wonder why you ever settled for the packaged kind.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
For the dough
- 1 ½ tsp active dry yeast
- 1 ½ tsp granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ cups warm water (105–110°f / 40–43°c)
- 3 ½ cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp barley malt syrup or honey
For the boiling water
- 2 tbsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp barley malt syrup or honey
- 2 qt water
For topping
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or everything bagel seasoning (optional)
Instructions
- 1
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Stir briefly and let stand for 5–8 minutes, until the surface is foamy and the mixture smells yeasty.
- 2
Add the bread flour, salt, and 1 tbsp barley malt syrup to the yeast mixture. Mix on low speed with the dough hook until the flour is incorporated, about 2 minutes, then increase to medium speed and knead for 8–10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, stiff, and pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl. The dough should feel firm and only slightly tacky — stiffer than a typical bread dough.
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