Bagels with Fresh Milled Flour

These bagels with fresh milled flour are everything they should be and more! They are incredibly wholesome and surprisingly easy to whip up. My son took one bite and immediately declared it a “premium bagel,” and I couldn’t agree more. These disappear from the kitchen counter faster than any store-bought bagels we’ve ever had. With their perfect chewy texture and outstanding flavor, these bagels make an amazing breakfast or the ultimate bagel sandwich for lunch. Top them with your favorite spreads or enjoy them completely plain, they are seriously good!

Recipe Notes:

Barley Malt Syrup:

• If you don’t have barley malt syrup you can use honey. Click here for the barley malt syrup I purchase on Amazon. One jar seems to last a long time.

Salt:

• Use only 1 tablespoon fine sea salt in the dough if you’re topping these with an everything bagel seasoning that contains a lot of salt.

Wheat Berries:

• Use hard white wheat berries as gluten development is important in this recipe.

Make Ahead Not Recommended:

• I’ve tried the overnight method with these bagels, where you shape them, refrigerate overnight, then boil and bake in the morning. It didn’t work for me. The bagels over rose and deflated when they were boiled and baked.

Steps:

1. Mix and Autolyse:

Place water in your mixer bowl and stir in barley malt syrup until dissolved. Add the fresh milled flour and mix on the lowest setting just until a rough dough forms. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes (autolyse).

2. Knead:

Add fine sea salt and instant yeast and knead until you get a windowpane.

• Bosch Mixer: with dough hook, speed 2, 4-5 minutes
• Kitchenaid Stand Mixer: with dough hook, speed 2, 9-10 minutes

Form into a ball, transfer to lightly oiled proofing vessel, turning the dough ball over to get oil on all sides. Let dough rise until doubled, 45-90 minutes, depending on how warm your kitchen is.

3. Prepare Baking Sheets:

You’ll need two baking sheet for the second rise and two for baking the bagels. You can also get by with three baking sheets by using the first one you empty for baking the second round of boiled bagels.

• For second rise: Cut 12, 5-6-inch squares of parchment paper, place on baking sheets and lightly dust with flour.
• For baking: Prepare two baking sheets with a sheet of parchment paper.

4. Shape and Second Rise:

When the dough has doubled, weigh the dough and divide the total weight by 12 to find out how much each bagel should weigh. Mine were 127 grams each.

One dough piece at a time, form the dough into a ball by tucking the sides under, moving the dough ball in a circular motion and then pinching the bottom to seal. Then lightly roll the dough ball on the counter, until a tight ball has formed. Using your thumb and finger, poke a hole in the middle of the dough ball. Lightly stretch out the bagel dough until the hole is 3 inches wide.

Place each shaped bagel on a parchment paper square. Let rise 20-30 minutes, until puffy and the middle hole is a little smaller. This should be the amount of time it takes to prepare and boil the water.

As soon as you’re done shaping the bagels, prepare a large stock pot of 12-14 cups water with 1/4 cup barley malt syrup. Bring to a gentle boil. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Once the water comes to a boil the bagels should be puffy and ready to boil.

5. Boil the bagels, top and bake

Use the parchment square to lift the bagel and transfer it to the pot, boil on each side for 20 seconds. Using a slotted spoon transfer to parchment lined baking sheet, 6 bagels per sheet. Add the seasoning/topping right after boiling so it sticks well.

Bake for 16-18 minutes until golden brown and internal bagel temperature is 190 degrees. Cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.