Asiago Bagel Recipe

Measure and prep all ingredients.

Prepare the dough. In a measuring cup, whisk together the filtered water and one tablespoon of barley malt syrup.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the bread flour, instant yeast and salt. 

Add the water mixture to the flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until a shaggy dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and start kneading the dough until a smooth dough ball forms, about 15-20 minutes. (See notes 1.)

Knead in ⅓ cup of shredded Asiago cheese and shape into a round ball.

Transfer the dough into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. 

Turn out the dough onto your work surface and deflate the dough with your hands. Divide it into six even portions. (See notes 2.) 

Form a smooth round ball with your hands. Cover and let the dough rest for 5-10 minutes. 

While the dough rests, line a sheet pan with parchment paper and lightly grease it. Once the dough is done resting, poke a hole in the center of the dough and twirl the dough around your finger until the hole is about 3 inches wide. Place the dough onto the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining dough balls. (See notes 3.) 

Cover the sheet pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 6 hours or overnight. 

After the dough fully rests, remove the sheet pan from the refrigerator. Perform a float test by gently transferring a bagel into a bowl of water. If the bagel floats, it is ready to bake. If not, let the bagels rest covered at room temperature for about 15 minutes and repeat the test. Continue to rest and test in 10-minute intervals until the bagels pass the float test.

Prepare to boil and bake the bagels. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Fill a 10-inch wide saucepan or a large Dutch oven halfway with water. Stir in the remaining five tablespoons of barley malt syrup and baking soda. Bring to a gentle boil. Skim off the foam that forms on top of the water. 

Place the remaining ⅓ cup of shredded Asiago cheese in a shallow bowl. Prepare a second sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

Once the water is at a gentle boil, add two to three bagels into the water, boiling about 1 minute per side. Use a skimmer or a strainer to remove the bagel from the water and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle each wet bagel with the Asiago cheese. Repeat steps with the remaining bagels. 

Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until the bagels are golden brown. 

Remove the bagels and cool completely on a wire rack.

Slice, schmear and enjoy!