This is the first bagel recipe I ever made.
It came from a brand-name recipe book I owned when I was about 12 years old, and I'm pretty sure I chose the recipe because it sounded healthy. That, plus bran bagels are slightly sweet. So I made them with enthusiasm, very little knowledge, and no real concept of what a great bagel could be.
An Easy Recipe
Fast forward a few decades. I now have a stand mixer, bread flour, and a much better understanding of dough. Making this recipe again was oddly satisfying. As a kid, I'd never even heard of bread flour, let alone used it. That, and I hadn't been to New York yet to understand what bagels were supposed to be like. Still, as I mixed and shaped the dough, it struck me just how approachable this recipe really is. If a 12-year-old with no baking experience can pull it off, it's a solid recipe.
Bagel Making Tips
There were a few things I always did "wrong" back then -- not disastrous, just inefficient. I kneaded by hand, which is perfectly fine, but using a dough hook makes the dough stronger. Bread flour, in particular, makes a huge difference here. The extra gluten gives the bagels enough structure that you can literally twirl the dough around your finger while shaping. If you have bread flour, use it. The bagels will be nice and chewy like New York bagels.
Also, as a kid (and even into adulthood, I am sad to say) I often let the shaped bagels rise too long. Bagels aren't meant to rise as much as dinner rolls. Once shaped, they really only need about 20 minutes of rest. By the time you've finished shaping the last one and brought the water to a boil, they're ready for the boil.
Boiling Bagels
And speaking of boiling, you shouldn't boil your bagels too long. I used to boil for two or three minutes and would wonder why my bagels were flat. Maybe this old recipe, which says to boil for 2-3 minutes, was where I learned it. I now boil bagels for about about 90 seconds max. A shorter boil gives you the chewy exterior without sacrificing shape.
Why All-Bran Cereal Works in Bagels
All-Bran cereal works surprisingly well in bagels because it softens as it hydrates, adding fiber and structure without making the dough heavy or dense. When mixed with warm liquid, the bran absorbs moisture and becomes part of the dough rather than sitting in it, which helps the bagels hold their shape during boiling and baking. The bran gives the finished bagels flavor and makes them feel more substantial than plain bagels while still staying chewy.
Bran Bagels with King Arthur Keto Flour
I put the bagel ingredients through a nutrition counter. The macros were pretty good, but I wanted to make them higher in protein, so I tested the recipe with King Arthur Keto Flour. It worked well and brought calories down and protein way up. So if you want to try them with King Arthur's keto wheat flour, check out the note section of the card. I used slightly less butter and sweetened with an allulose blend with brought them down to about 111 calories per 2 oz bagel and 14 grams of protein.
Recipe
Bran Bagels
Equipment
- 1 saucepan or skillet
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water, divided use.
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ cups All Bran or Bran Buds cereal
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose or bread flour (330 grams or as needed)
- sesame seeds (optional)
Boiling Liquid
- 1 ½ quarts water
- 1 tablespoon honey (optional)
Instructions
- Put ¼ cup warm water in a small bowl. Add yeast and stir to dissolve. Let proof for about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Bring remaining ¾ cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and pour the water into a stand mixer bowl. Add the butter and stir until it melts, then add the sugar and salt.
- Add the egg and cereal and stir well to soften the cereal. Add 2 cups (240 grams) of the flour and the proofed yeast and stir to form a dough. Keep remaining ½ cup of flour on hand to add later as kneaded
- At this point you can knead by hand and remaining flour as needed or use the dough hook on a stand mixer.
- Put mixing bowl on the stand and begin kneading. If using the stand mixer, you'll probably need another ¼ cup (40 grams) or so of flour. Knead with the hook for about 5 to 7 minutes, adding flour as needed, until dough is smooth and elastic.
- Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a very lightly greased bowl, cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise for an hour. It will rise substantially, but probably won't double.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. and have ready a very large or two smaller baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
- Form dough into a 12 inch roll and cut into 12 equal portions. Form each portion into a ball and use your thumb and forefinger to make a hole in each ball. Elongate the hole and shape the bagels. Set the shaped bagels on a parchment lined baking sheet and let rise for about 20 minutes only.
- Fill a saucepan or saute pan about 2 ½ inches deep with water. Bring water to a boil I like to add about a tablespoon of honey to the water to add a little flavor and enhance browning, but that is optional. Add as many bagels as will reasonably fit (I do two at a time), then reduce heat slightly and simmer (strong simmer, but not quite a boil) for a little over a minute, turning halfway through.
- Lift bagels out of the water with a slotted spatula allowing water to drip off, then set on the parchment lined baking sheet. They might puff a little, but they won't spread so you don't have to worry too much about spacing.
- While bagels are still slightly damp, sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.
- Bake in the preheated 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes.
Anna says
You can read all about it here. https://shop.kingarthurbaking.com/items/keto-wheat-flour?srsltid=AfmBOoorAPcndkvyatEK85diizCYczouO0_pjCXc29xQ8RZT8Ar_9Gaj I use it in a lot of different bread recipes and love it. It makes bread very chewy. Our grocery store sells the King Arthur keto flour, but if yours doesn't you can order it from them or from Amazon.
Sue K says
These look great!
Now I have to look up keto flour.