Classic Chewy Bagels, Gluten Free

Instructions

1. 1

   Start the yeast

   Stir the honey into the warm water until dissolved, then whisk in the yeast and let it stand 5 minutes until foamy. Honey stands in for barley malt syrup here because malt is made from barley and contains gluten — you lose a little of the malty depth, but the browning and sweetness carry through.

2. 2

   Mix the dough

   Whisk the gluten-free flour blend, xanthan gum, psyllium husk powder, and salt together thoroughly before any liquid goes in — the binders clump badly if they aren't dispersed first. Add the yeast mixture and olive oil, then mix on medium with a paddle attachment for 3 to 4 minutes. There's no gluten to develop, so you're mixing for evenness, not strength. The dough will look more like a thick, sticky batter than a kneadable dough.

3. 3

   Rest to hydrate

   Cover the bowl and let the dough sit for 25 minutes. This step is not optional in gluten-free baking: the psyllium and starches need time to absorb water and gel. The dough will transform from sloppy and loose to firm, cohesive, and genuinely shapeable. Don't add extra flour during this window, even if it looks hopeless at the start.

4. 4

   Shape with wet hands

   Divide the dough into 8 pieces, about 110g each. Wet your hands with cool water — this is the single trick that makes gluten-free dough manageable — and roll each piece into a smooth ball. Press your thumb through the center and gently widen the hole to about 2 inches, re-wetting your hands as needed to smooth any cracks around the edges.

5. 5

   Proof once, at room temperature

   Arrange the bagels on a parchment-lined sheet pan and cover loosely. Let them rise at room temperature for 60 to 75 minutes, until visibly puffed by about a third. Skip the overnight refrigerator rest used in the wheat version — gluten-free dough gains nothing in flavor from a long cold ferment and tends to dry out and crack at the surface instead.

6. 6

   Chill briefly

   Slide the whole tray into the fridge for 20 minutes before boiling. Gluten-free dough is more fragile in hot water, and this short chill firms the exterior enough that the bagels hold their shape. Skip the float test — this dough behaves differently in water and the test isn't a reliable readiness signal here.

7. 7

   Heat the oven and the bath

   Preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the upper third. Bring the water to a boil in a wide pot, then stir in the honey and baking soda and reduce to a gentle simmer. Keep it calmer than you would for wheat bagels — a violent rolling boil can tear the surface.

8. 8

   Boil briefly

   Lower in 2 bagels at a time using a slotted spoon, supporting them as they go. Boil just 30 seconds per side, half the time of the wheat version. Longer in the water makes gluten-free bagels waterlogged and gummy inside. Lift them out, drain well, and return them to the parchment.

9. 9

   Wash and top

   Beat the egg with the tablespoon of water, brush each bagel while damp, and add seasoning or seeds immediately.

10. 10

    Bake longer and darker

    Bake 26 to 30 minutes, rotating at the halfway point, until deeply golden and firm to the tap. Gluten-free bagels need noticeably more time than wheat ones to drive off moisture, and underbaking is the main reason they turn out dense and wet in the middle. Trust the thermometer over the clock: pull them at 205 to 210°F.

11. 11

    Cool completely

    Transfer to a wire rack and leave them alone for a full 45 minutes. Gluten-free crumb sets as it cools much more than wheat does, and a bagel that seems underdone when warm will often be perfect once it reaches room temperature.

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Baker's Tips

• 1.

  Bread flour is doing real work here. Its higher protein content builds the dense, elastic crumb that defines a bagel, and all-purpose will give you something closer to a soft roll.

• 2.

  Barley malt syrup delivers the distinctive malty sweetness and the deep brown crust. Honey or molasses will substitute at the same volume, but the flavor shifts noticeably toward floral or bitter.

• 3.

  The baking soda in the bath raises the pH of the water, which accelerates browning and produces that classic shine. Skip it and your bagels will bake up paler.

• 4.

  For a rounder, more uniform shape, try the rope method: roll each piece into an 8-inch rope, wrap it around your palm so the ends overlap by an inch, then roll the seam against the counter to seal.

• 5.

  Boil in small batches. Crowding the pot drops the water temperature and gives you flat, tough bagels.

• 6.

  Dough scraps and odd shapes are normal on your first batch. Shape issues disappear once you get a feel for how much the hole closes up.