Use an easy-to-prepare overnight starter to give these awesome Homemade Steamed Chewy Bagels an extra punch of flavor.
Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Place the flour along with the yeast in a small bowl. Stir with a whisk to fully blend. Add the water and stir until combined.
Cover and let rest at room temperature overnight.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the bread flour, salt and yeast. Add the overnight starter along with the water and molasses. Mix and knead to make a smooth, elastic dough. This will take about 12 minutes if kneading by hand or 9 minutes using a stand mixer set at medium speed.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover. Let it rise until puffy but not necessarily doubled in bulk, for about 60 to 90 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a clean work surface, gently deflating it in the process.
Divide the dough evenly into 8 pieces for large bagels or 16 pieces for smaller bagels. Roll each piece into a ball and space them out on a tray. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. They should puff up slightly.
Poke a hole through the center of each ball, then twirl it around on your finger until the opening is about 1 1/2" in diameter. Place the shaped bagels on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Allow them to rise, covered, for about 45 minutes.
While the bagels are rising, place a steamer rack in a wide pan or canning kettle. Put 1" to 2" of water in the bottom of the pan and bring it to a simmer.
Preheat the oven to 400℉.
Place as many bagels as will fit on the steamer rack with 3/4" space between them. Cover the pan right away and steam the bagels for 90 seconds.
Using a slotted spatula, gently remove the bagels from the steam bath and return them to the baking sheet. Repeat until all bagels are steamed.
For a shiny glaze, mix the egg white with the water. Lightly brush the top of each bagel with the egg wash.
If adding a topping, sprinkle onto each bagel immediately after applying the egg wash.
Bake the bagels for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a deep golden brown. Remove the bagels from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack.
Store in a paper bag at room temperature for one day. Or slice and freeze for up to 2 months for longer storage.
For onion-topped bagels - Bake unglazed bagels for 20 to 22 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and keep the oven turned on. Apply the egg wash to each bagel, then sprinkle with minced dried onion flakes. Return the bagels to the oven for just two more minutes. Any longer than that, the dried onions could burn.