Good morning, Good evening, and Good afternoon depending on the time you are reading this article on how to make Canadian Montréal Bagels.
In this article we covered the recipe and made it as easy as possible so you won't miss any step.
The article is gonna be brief and straightforward so let's dive into the topic of the day.
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
Yield: 8 bagels 1x
Category: Bread
Method: Bake
Cuisine: Canadian
What are Montreal Bagels (aka Montreal-Style Bagels)?
Montreal bagels, sometimes called Montreal-Style Bagels, are one of the most traditionally sweeter, thinner bagels originated from Canada.
It has bigger center hole that are baked in a wood-fired oven.
Ingredients for Montreal Bagels (aka Montreal-Style Bagels)
- Pure maple syrup
- Active dry yeast OR instant yeast
- Unbleached bread flour
- Salt
- Sesame seeds, poppy seeds and/or everything bagel seasoning, for topping
- Honey
- Water
Steps to Prepare Montreal Bagels (aka Montreal-Style Bagels)
Time needed: 2 hours and 35 minutes.
Step One: Make the bagel dough.
In a large bowl, stir together water, maple syrup, yeast, flour and salt until a stiff dough forms. Continue to knead dough until soft, smooth, elastic and only slightly sticky. Transfer dough to an oiled bowl; cover and let rise until doubled.
Step Two: Shape the bagels.
Punch down risen dough to deflate, then divide into 8 equal-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then poke the center of each hole with your fingers. Gently tug the dough to form a ring, like a bagel, with an approximate 2- to 3-inch hole in the center. (PS Here’s a video on How to Shape a Bagel, if you’re more of a visual learner!) Place bagels on an upside-down baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise while you prep the water bath.
Step Three: Boil the bagels.
In a large saucepan filled with water about 3 inches high, add honey. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Use a slotted spoon to transfer 2 to 3 bagels at a time to the bath. Cook bagels 1 minute on each side, then transfer to a shallow bowl filled with seed topping of your choice. Turn to coat the tops of the bagels, then return the bagels to the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining bagels.
Step Four: Bake the bagels.
Heat your oven to 475°F. Transfer bagels on parchment-lined baking sheet to oven. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until bagels are a deep golden brown. Cool bagels completely on a cooling rack before slicing.
Tips for the Best Montreal-Style Bagels
As far as homemade breakfast foods go, these bagels top the list for easiest to make. That said, there are still a few tips we should cover, as always:
- As mentioned above, please use bread flour. For many recipes, bread flour and all-purpose flour can be interchangeable — but in the case of a few recipes, bagels included, the extra protein content yields a chewy, dense bagel. You can find bread flour right next to the all-purpose flour in most baking aisles!
- Need a warm place to let your dough rise? My favorite location is the microwave. I simply cover my dough bowl and place it in there for the entire rise time — it’s a warmer, draft-free location in your kitchen that will help the dough do its best rising. You can also use your oven with the light on (oven OFF, obviously).
- Don’t sweat it if you shape imperfect-looking bagels. I don’t know the science behind this, but even the ugliest bagels tend to bake up pretty in the oven. Even if you shape them pretty as a picture, they tend to get a little shriveled after the water bath, but they’ll bake right back up into a beautiful bagel.
- Homemade bagels tend to keep best for up to 1 day at room temperature, stored in a paper bag. After that, I highly recommend slicing each bagel, then freezing them in a freezer-safe resealable bag, and toasting them as needed.
- Of course, if you have any more questions about this recipe, please leave a note in the comments or shoot me a note via email or social media! I will forever and always love to chat about bagels. Otherwise, if you’re already looking on the bright side of 2021, bring these Montreal bagels along with you. It’ll be the best decision you’ve made all year.
