Whole Wheat Bagels

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Whole Wheat Bagels

star rating (8) rate this recipe »
Published prior to 2008

This recipe is an ideal candidate for the bread machine, as it'll respond well to the heavy, long knead that bread machines feature. Simply cut the recipe in half, program your machine for Dough or Manual, and press Start. When the machine has completed its cycle, divide the dough into seven pieces (rather than 14) and proceed with the recipe.

1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 cups (16 ounces) water, warm
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon diastatic malt powder (optional)
3 cups (12 3/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
3 cups (12 3/4 ounces) King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
1 tablespoon salt

Dissolve the yeast in the water and add the sugars and the malt. Add 1 cup of the bread flour and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, to give the yeast a chance to get going. Add all of the white whole wheat flour, mixing well. Add the salt, then the rest of the bread flour, mixing in a cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead, adding more flour as necessary, until it's smooth and satiny. As a result of the bread flour's higher protein, you'll want to knead it longer than you would dough made with all-purpose flour; make sure that the dough is really springy before you stop kneading it. Cover the dough with a damp towel, and let it rest for 20 minutes.

Divide the dough into 14 pieces and roll each piece into a rope 8 to 9 inches long and 3/4 inch wide. Form each rope into a circle and join the ends, pressing well to seal. Place the bagels on a tray that's been dusted with cornmeal, cover them lightly with plastic wrap, and let them rise for 30 minutes. Secure the plastic wrap around the edges (you don't want the bagels to dry out), and place the pan in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours.

Remove the bagels from the refrigerator and let them rest at room temperature for 45 minutes. While they're resting, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, and preheat the oven to 450°F.

Place a few bagels at a time in the pot and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, or until they've risen to the top. Remove them with a slotted spoon or flat strainer, and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake the bagels for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they're brown and their internal temperature registers 180°F on an instant-read thermometer. (If your oven is intensely hot at the bottom, nest a second baking pan underneath the first 10 minutes into the baking time. This will diffuse the heat, eliminating the problem of scorched bagel bottoms.) Remove the bagels from the oven, and cool them on racks. Yield: 14 bagels.

Nutrition information per serving (1 bagel, 56g): 180 cal, 1g fat, 6g protein, 36g complex carbohydrates, 2g sugar, 4g dietary fiber, 460mg sodium, 133mg potassium, 2mg iron, 51mg calcium, 115mg phosphorus.

Reviews

1
  • star rating 04/05/2012
  • ny lady from KAF Community
  • Thanks for the reply. I followed the exact recipe and baked them for about 17 minutes. They taste great but the crust was too crispy for my kids. Is there anyway to make the crust softer? also, they are like 12 mini bagels. I remembered my dough was stiff with tiny cracks. Is it because that I didn't add enough water or I didn't knead (by hand) long enough? I am new in baking with yeast and appreciate your help.
    We'd love to help you with your questions. Please call our baker's hotline or email us so that we can best assist you. Thanks so much. ~Amy
  • star rating 04/05/2012
  • ny lady from KAF Community
  • I tried this recipe but used whole wheat flour only. my dough was a bit stiff. It did rise (like 1.5 size) after resting for 20 minutes. After shaping (12 only, and they are much smaller than store bought), I followed the recipe to let them rest for another 30 minutes. They did rise a little bit. Then, I put them in the refrigerator. It's not 12 hours yet, I noticed that they seem to shrink & there're water drops accumulated on the top of the plastic wrap. Is this right?
    Sounds like they are on track. Keep at it. Frank @ KAF.
  • star rating 01/15/2011
  • Vicki B. from Eureka, MO
  • Absolutely delish!! I've never made bagels before but these were incredibly easy! Of course, I am convinced it's because I ONLY use KAF organic flours & their other ingredients. I've made so many of KAF's recipes & have never been disappointed! Would love to know how to add blueberries to these bagels, e.g., quantity, etc.
    Try adding 1 cup of dried blueberries to the dough the next time you make these. Frank @ KAF.
  • star rating 11/08/2010
  • Jeanne loves to bake from KAF Community
  • I just finished one, and it was delicious! They are chewy outside, soft inside, a dense bread with excellent bagel texture. I followed the recipe other than the diastatic malt powder, and I made 12 bagels instead of 14. I probably would have skipped the overnight in the fridge step except I was so swamped with other stuff that it actually worked out for me to do that. :) I topped 4 of mine with the Everything Bagel topping from KA, and I did the rest sesame, cinnamon sugar, and plain. I think next time I might try some regular whole wheat in the mix - maybe 2 of each type of flour and a bit of vital wheat gluten. I did mine in my Zo-BB-CEC20 for the mix, knead, and first rise.
  • star rating 04/28/2010
  • Beth from Baltimore
  • I made these bagels last weekend, and used my Mini Zo bread machine to knead the dough. It couldn't have been simpler! I just put all of the ingredients into the machine and programmed it for the dough cycle. After the dough was ready, it was easy to shape these bagels and store them in the fridge for the overnight rise. I baked them the next morning, and the boiling and baking was really simple--the only issue I had was that my bagels floated the whole time, so I just kept an eye on the clock and flipped them after a minute of boiling time. The results were amazing. Light bagels with a great crust! We served them with lox and cream cheese for an amazing weekend treat! We're already scheming about what toppings to add next time!
  • star rating 07/12/2009
  • Daniel from North Carolina
  • I love the recipe, but modified it slightly by adding honey to the dough to give it a little more sweetness. I also made my own cinnamon raisin bagels using this recipe as a base as well and they turned out great.
  • star rating 06/23/2009
  • shambo from Sacramento, CA
  • I recommend it with reservations. The finished product tastes very good, but the dough was terribly dry. I added at least an additional 1/2 cup(1 tbsp. at a time) of water to the dough. I used my bread machine and made the full recipe. I even oiled & spritzed the dough ball with water when the rise cycle began. I had to keep the dough covered while shaping the bagels because it just dried out so quickly. Other than adding water during the kneading process, I had no problems. I made 16 bagels and brushed them with an egg wash before baking. I used grocery store malted milk powder in the dough because I haven't yet ordered the diastatic. I also added a tablespoon each of malt powder and sugar to the boiling water.
  • star rating 03/31/2009
  • Tony from Berwick,Pa.
  • These whole wheat bagles were a great success. I used KA traditional whole wheat flour and added the flour by weight instead of dry measre. It seemed to be a lesser amount although I didn't measure. The recipe seemed complicated to me as I'm somewhat of a beginner (and a guy), but turned out to be quite easy. I will definitely make these again.
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