Description
These homemade maple cinnamon bagels feature a chewy, authentic bakery-style texture enhanced with a subtle sweetness from maple syrup and a warm hint of cinnamon. Perfect for autumn mornings, they deliver comforting flavors and are ideal when topped with cream cheese.
Ingredients
For the Bagels
- 4 ½ cups (585 g) unbleached bread flour
- 1 tablespoon (9 g) instant yeast
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 ⅓ cups (320 ml) warm water, 105-115ºF
- ¼ cup (78 g) maple syrup
For the Water Bath
- 2 quarts (1892 ml) water
- ¼ cup (78 g) maple syrup
Instructions
- Combine Ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the bread flour, instant yeast, light brown sugar, ground cinnamon, salt, warm water, and maple syrup on low speed until fully incorporated.
- Knead the Dough. Increase to medium speed and knead for 10 minutes until a stiff, cohesive dough forms. If kneading by hand, knead for 15 minutes, working to develop gluten and make the dough elastic.
- First Rise. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature in a draft-free place for 45 to 60 minutes until it becomes noticeably puffy but not necessarily doubled.
- Prepare Baking Sheets. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray, then set aside.
- Divide and Pre-shape. Turn the risen dough onto a clean surface and divide into 12 equal pieces (about 86 grams each). Roll each piece into a smooth ball and place on a prepared baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until volume increases about 20%, approximately 30 minutes.
- Make the Water Bath. Combine 2 quarts water and ¼ cup maple syrup in a large wide pan and bring to a gentle boil. Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Shape the Bagels. Press one finger through the center of each dough ball to create a hole. Stretch the hole using your index fingers to make it about 50% larger than the desired final size, as it shrinks during cooking. Place 6 bagels on each baking sheet.
- Boil Bagels. Carefully transfer bagels to the boiling maple water bath, fitting as many without crowding. Boil for 1 ½ minutes, flip and boil for 1 minute more. Use a skimmer to remove bagels and return them to the baking sheets. Repeat with remaining bagels.
- Bake the Bagels. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, flipping the baking sheets halfway through, until the bagels are lightly golden brown.
- Cool. Remove bagels from the oven and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely before serving or slicing.
Notes
- Use unbleached bread flour for the best chewy texture.
- Make sure the water for the dough is warm (105-115ºF) to activate yeast without killing it.
- Boiling bagels in maple syrup water enhances sweetness and creates a shiny crust.
- The hole in the bagel should be larger than desired because it shrinks when boiled and baked.
- If you don’t have a stand mixer, knead by hand for 15 minutes until dough is elastic.
- Cover dough with plastic wrap to prevent drying out during rising.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 28 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
