Homemade Blueberry Bagels
Homemade blueberry bagels are a delightful twist on the classic bagel, featuring bursts of juicy blueberries throughout the dough. These bagels combine the satisfying chewiness of traditional bagels with the sweet and tangy flavour of blueberries. Making them from scratch allows for a fresher taste and the ability to control the quality of ingredients.
In this blog post, you will learn how to make homemade blueberry bagels.
Why Make Homemade Blueberry Bagels?
Homemade blueberry bagels are an incredibly delicious and satisfying treat that combines the chewy texture of traditional bagels with the sweet, tangy flavour of blueberries. By making your own blueberry bagels at home, you can control the ingredients for a fresher, healthier, delicious bagel. Making your homemade bagels is incredibly rewarding and delicious!
Fresh or Frozen Blueberries?
In this recipe, less water is put into the initial mixture because it is expected to use the juice from the blueberries. As thawed blueberries have more juice, frozen blueberries are preferred for this recipe.
If you use 1 ½ c. of blueberries and microwave them to thaw them quickly, it should yield 1 c. of blueberries plus the juice. This is what you will be putting into the blueberry mixture.
If you have tried my Plain Bagels, you will notice that that bagel recipe uses 1 ½ c. of water which is replaced with blueberries plus their juices in this recipe.
How to Shape the Blueberry Bagels?
Allow the dough to fully rise which will take about 60-90 minutes. Once it has risen, make sure to punch the air out of the dough. Shaping your bagels involves dividing the dough into equal portions, forming smooth balls, and then creating the characteristic hole in the centre.
Divide the dough into equal portions and form them into smooth balls. Next take your two thumbs and poke through the centre of the balls to make the characteristic hole in the centre of the bagel. Continue to stretch the hole by inserting both index fingers and gently stretching the dough outwards. Rotate as you until the hole is about 1.5-2 inches (3.8-5 cm) in diameter. When the bagels are boiling the holes will close up a little, so make the hole larger than what it should be.
Why Do the Bagels Need to Be Boiled?
The reason that bagels are boiled is to help make them chewy, set the shape, enhance their browning, increase the flavour, and allow any added toppings to stick to your bagels.
Boiling Process
- Prepare the Boiling Water:
- Bring the water to a rolling boil in a large pot.
- Once the water is boiling, add any ingredients that you want such as honey or brown sugar.
- Boil the Bagels:
- Place the bagels carefully into the boiling water making to handle them very carefully to maintain their shape.
- Boil the bagels for 1-2 minutes on each side. 2 minutes is normally what I do because the longer that they boil, the chewier they become.
- With a slotted spoon, remove the bagels from the boiling water and let them drain for a short amount of time on a wire rack.
- Bake the Bagels:
- Place the boiled bagels onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in the oven until they are golden brown and fully baked.
Do I Need to Put Honey or Brown Sugar into the Boiling Water?
The purpose of adding honey to the boiling water is to enhance the browning, add sweetness, and contribute to the chewy texture of the bagels. There is very little sugar in the bagels so adding honey or brown sugar to the water adds some sweetness to them. This is a traditional technique that gives your bagels an authentic and appealing taste and appearance.
Can I Skip Boiling the Bagels?
Yes, this step can be skipped. I have tried both ways and boiling the bagels does have better results than skipping this step. Non-boiled bagels will have a harder crust, lack some sweetness, and not be as chewy. They are still good to eat, but there will be a noticeable difference.
Even if you choose not to boil them, make sure to still give them an egg wash before baking them in the oven.
How to Store the Bagels
Room Temperature: bagels can be stored for about 2-3 days at room temperature.
Refrigerator: bagels can be stored for about a week in the refrigerator.
Freezer: bagels can be stored for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Ensure proper storage to maintain freshness by using airtight containers and wrapping the bagels tightly. If you reheat them by toasting or baking, these methods can help to revive some of the texture and flavour.
Ingredients
Bread/Strong Flour: bread/strong flour has a higher protein amount in it which gives the bagels a chewier texture because it has more gluten development.
Water: water is used for the hydration of the flour while helping the activate the yeast. Precise water content is needed to prevent sticky dough or dry dough.
Yeast: yeast is the leavening agent in this recipe. You can use either active or instant yeast.
Sugar: sugar is what feeds the yeast while adding sweetness.
Salt: salt is a flavour enhancer.
Boiling Water: boiling water is used to boil the bagels before baking. The water normally has malt syrup or honey in it.
Honey: honey gives the bagels an added to sweetness to the crust.
Egg White: egg whites are used for the egg wash. This gives the bagels a shiny, golden-brown finish when they are finished baking.
Tips
- For the bagels to bake evenly, try to make each portion of dough the same size.
- As the bagel hole shrinks once it is boiled, make it bigger than you want it to be.
- A skimmer spoon is a great tool to help insert and remove the bagels from the pot of boiling water.
Want to Try Something Different?
Don’t want blueberries in your bagels, try making these Plain Bagels. Simple to make as well and just as delicious and chewy!
Homemade Blueberry Bagels
Ingredients
- 1/2 c. warm water
- 7 g packet of instant yeast (1 ½ tsp.)
- Pinch of sugar
- 4 c. bread flour/strong flour
- 1 c. blueberries with the juice (thawed from frozen)
- 1 tbsp. sugar granulated
- 2 tsp. salt
- 2 Quarts boiling water approx. fill 2/3 of your pot
- 1/8 c. honey or brown sugar
Instructions
- Whisk your warm water, packet of instant yeast, and pinch of sugar together in a large bowl. Set aside for 5-10 minutes in a warm place to let the yeast activate.
- In a separate medium bowl, mix your bread flour, salt, and sugar together.
- Once the yeast is activated, pour the dry ingredients and blueberries with the juices into the yeast mixture and stir until it has come together in a rather dry ball.
- Pour the dough out onto a floured worktop and knead for 6-7 minutes. Form into a ball.
- Once you have finished kneading, lightly oil a bowl and place the lightly oiled kneaded dough into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel and place in warm place to let rise for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Once your dough has risen, punch down into the dough to release any air trapped inside. Pour out onto a lightly floured surface and cut the dough into 8 even pieces of dough.
- Roll each dough piece into a ball. Press your fingers through the middle to make a 1”-2” hole in the centre and place onto a tray lined with parchment paper. Cover with a tea towel while the water is brought to a boil.
- In a pot, pour in the 2 quarts of water or to fill it to approximately 2/3 full of water. Pour your honey (or brown sugar) into the water and bring to a boil.
- Preheat oven to 425℉/220℃/Gas Mark 7.
- Once your water has boiled reduce the heat to medium. Place your bagels into the boiling water. You want them to float comfortably in the water so it will depend on the size of your pot how many bagels can be put into the water at a time. For most pots it will be 2-4 bagels.
- Boil on one side for 1 minute then flip and boil on the other side for 1 more minute.
- Remove from the water and place onto your baking sheet. Continue to do this for the rest of your bagels.
- Brush your egg whitewash over each bagel, making sure to get the sides.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the baking trays halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking of the bagels.
- Remove from the oven and let cool. After 5 minutes remove from the trays and transfer to a cooling rack.