Walnut Free Bagels (Boiled and Baked)
Homemade bagels are one of those kitchen projects that feel ambitious but deliver a payoff so far beyond anything from a plastic bag that you'll wonder why you waited this long. The dough comes together with straightforward pantry staples — bread flour, yeast, barley malt syrup, and salt — so there's no guesswork about hidden nut ingredients or shared-facility warnings that can make store-bought options stressful. The real magic happens in the boiling step, where a baking soda and barley malt bath gives each bagel that signature chewy, glossy crust before it ever sees the oven. Shaping the rings by hand and watching them puff in the pot is genuinely satisfying, and the high-heat bake locks in that deep golden color and hollow, crackly bottom. A brush of egg white and a shower of sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or everything seasoning takes them from great to completely irresistible. These are the kind of bagels worth slicing while they're still just barely warm.
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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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