Editors are not immune from the rigors of two and a half years of wartime. Not to mention COVID. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve operated under anything but that fight-or-flight feeling since 2020.
Thus, I must confess to a slight oversight on my part. Assuming that, like me, everyone would be looking ahead to Independence Day/Shavuot content in the Magazine and would certainly appreciate some post-Passover recipes, I printed Henny Shor’s latest column on April 3 (“Flashback Friday”), the Shabbat of Passover.
But, as Henny rightly pointed out, no one would be thinking about repurposing bread while in the thick of the anti-hametz holiday! So, please, don’t blame kitchen maven Henny for this bungle. And now that Passover is actually over, please turn your attention to the crowning glory of last week’s column: bagels!
Enjoy this recipe below, and take good care of yourselves. We’re all suffering from stress, lack of sleep, and emotional fatigue, but I’m certain one day I’ll look back and laugh at this little crumb-laden episode.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go bite into a cream cheese-shmeared bagel.
New York-Style Bagels by Henny Shor
I bet you will have missed having some delicious bread or bagels over Passover, so I thought this would be the perfect time to bring back this recipe. My sister-in-law Sara once sent a photo to our family WhatsApp group of the most gorgeous homemade bagels she had made during the 2020 lockdowns. She described that classic crusty exterior with a soft, chewy inside, and, of course, I had to try them.
My daughter and husband were ecstatic, and now my daughter refuses to eat bagels anywhere else; she insists these are the best. Honestly, I find making them easier than running out to buy them, and much more affordable, too. I originally shared this recipe in July 2024, when I was feeling a little nostalgic for New York. Don’t be intimidated – these are much easier to make than you think.
Yields 8-10 bagels
Dough:
1 Tbsp. salt
1 kg. (8 cups) sifted flour
2 Tbsp. dry yeast
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 cups very warm water
Boiling:
3.5-4 liters water in a stockpot
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
Toppings:
Onion flakes/poppy seeds/sesame seeds/kosher salt
In a large mixing bowl, add the dough ingredients in the order listed above. Mix with a large spoon or use a mixer with a dough hook attachment. Knead the dough well until it feels stretchy. (For hafrashat challah: Separate an egg-sized piece of dough, but do not recite the blessing.) Grease the bowl with a drop of olive oil, cover the dough with a towel or plastic wrap, and let it rise for 1.5 to 2 hours or until it has doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F, ideally using the bottom heating element. Fill a wide stockpot with water, add the brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, line a tray with baking paper and sprinkle it with flour. Roll out the dough on a floured surface and divide it into 8 equal parts (or 10 for smaller bagels).
Roll each piece into a smooth ball, then use your index finger to poke a hole in the center and swirl it around until the hole is about 4-5 cm. (1.5 inches) wide. Place the bagels on the lined tray until the water boils.
Carefully add the bagels to the boiling water, 3 to 4 at a time, for 3 minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon, and return them to the baking sheet. Sprinkle your desired toppings onto the bagels and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.