Perfect Homemade Bagels — What Denise Taught Me About Working the Dough

Pioneer Day. July 24th. Gary and Denise's yard in Orem, with the mountains visible over the roofline and the smell of cut grass and the sound of fifteen cousins running in a configuration that has no discernible structure and no discernible purpose but which generates an extraordinary amount of noise and happiness. Tyler and Stacey drove down from Boise. Brittany came from Sandy in the van she has needed to replace for three years. Josh and Katie and their families filled the rest of the yard. The Cooper family, gathered the way the Cooper family gathers: around a table, around food, around the man who says grace and the woman who makes the rolls.

Denise's rolls were perfect. They are always perfect. Katie kneaded them this year while Denise watched from a kitchen chair and said: you're overworking the dough. Katie has been hearing this for twenty years. She will hear it until Denise dies, and then she will hear it in her head forever, and this is what it means to be taught something by a mother. I brought my frozen roll contribution, which I baked that morning and which Denise assessed with the authority of someone who has been making rolls since before I was born. She said: these are close. Coming from Denise Cooper, close is the highest possible praise.

Gary said grace before dinner. He stood at the head of the long folding table with the same ease he has always had in front of a crowd, forty years of church welfare and bishop's storehouse and feeding people making him entirely comfortable with the ceremony of gratitude. He thanked Heavenly Father for the food and the family and the courage of the pioneers who walked so we could drive. He said: and thank you for Michelle, who feeds people the way her mother taught her. I looked at my plate. Tyler caught my eye and smiled. I almost believed everything.

On the drive home the kids were asleep in the van by Orem's city limits, all five of them, Mason against the window and Noah in his car seat and Lily curled against Olivia in a way that Olivia will deny tomorrow. Brandon drove. I watched the mountains go dark in the early evening and thought: this is what holds. When everything else has been uncertain, this has held.

I drove home from Orem thinking about dough—about what it means to be told you’re close, and what it means to keep trying. I don’t make rolls the way Denise does, not yet, but I’ve learned that the same instincts she’s been correcting in Katie’s hands for twenty years apply to anything you make with yeast and time. These bagels have become my practice bread, my potluck bread—the thing I bake when I want to feel like someone is still standing behind me in the kitchen, watching my hands, waiting to tell me I’m overworking it.

Perfect Homemade Bagels

Prep Time: 30 min + 1 hr rise | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: About 2 hrs | Servings: 8 bagels

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups warm water (about 110°F)
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar, divided
• 1 tbsp baking soda (for boiling water)
• 4 cups bread flour, plus more for kneading
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp neutral oil, for the bowl
• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
• Optional toppings: everything bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or flaky sea salt

Instructions

1. Activate the yeast. In a large bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and 1 tbsp sugar. Stir gently and let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy. If it doesn’t foam, your water was too hot or your yeast is past its prime—start over.
2. Mix the dough. Add the flour and salt to the yeast mixture and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and bring it together with your hands.
3. Knead. Knead for 8–10 minutes until the dough is smooth, firm, and springs back when you press it. Bagel dough is stiffer than roll dough—resist the urge to add more water, and don’t overwork it. It should feel like something you could push back against.
4. First rise. Lightly coat a large bowl with oil, place the dough inside, and turn to coat. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, until doubled.
5. Shape. Punch down the dough and divide into 8 equal pieces (about 3.5 oz each). Roll each piece into a smooth ball, then poke your thumb through the center and stretch the hole to about 1 1/2 inches wide—it will shrink as it bakes, so go wider than you think you need.
6. Rest. Place shaped bagels on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely and let rest 20 minutes. Preheat your oven to 425°F during this time.
7. Boil. Bring a large, wide pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the remaining 1 tbsp sugar and the baking soda. Working in batches of 2–3, boil each bagel for 1 minute per side. They’ll puff and look glossy. Transfer back to the baking sheet.
8. Top and bake. Brush each bagel with beaten egg and sprinkle with your toppings of choice. Bake 20–25 minutes until deep golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before cutting—the interior is still setting.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 248 | Protein: 8g | Fat: 2g | Carbs: 50g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 380mg