New York food writer Emily Elyse Miller’s new cookbook, “Breakfast,” covers everyone’s favorite meal to epic proportions. There are 380 recipes from across the globe, representing more than 80 countries, in the tome, out Wednesday.
One recipe in particular hits close to home: a bagel with a schmear of cream cheese and lox.
“When toppings like coarse salt, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, ‘everything’ seasoning (as in this recipe) or onion get thrown into the mix, ordering New York’s most iconic breakfast becomes a highly personal experience,” writes Miller, who also runs the BreakfastClub series.
If you’re inspired to make your own bagel (complete with homemade everything seasoning), get boiling and baking with this recipe.
Everything bagel with cream cheese and lox
Serves: 6 bagels
For the dough
- 2 tsp. honey or barley malt syrup
- 3/4 cup plus 3 tbsp. warm water
- 1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
- 2 1/4 cups bread flour (strong white flour)
- 1 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
For the “everything” topping
- 2 tbsp. poppy seeds
- 2 tbsp. sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp. caraway seeds
- 1 tbsp. dried garlic (garlic powder)
- 1 tbsp. dried onion
- 2 tsp. fine sea salt
For the poaching bath
- 1 tbsp. honey or barley malt syrup
- 1 tsp. baking soda
1. In a small bowl, dissolve the honey in the water. Add the yeast and set the mixture aside until the yeast is frothy, about 10 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the flour with the salt. Add the yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms, pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Knead the dough until it’s firm and elastic, 10 minutes. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a tea towel. Let rest until it has doubled in size, 1½ hours.
3. Transfer the dough to a work surface and divide into 6 equal portions. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before rolling each portion of dough into a rope 8 inches long. Wrap around your four fingers with the two ends meeting under your hand. Roll the end pieces together to fuse. Place the shaped bagels on a lined baking sheet, cover tightly in plastic wrap (cling film), and refrigerate overnight, 8-12 hours.
4. Combine all topping ingredients in a small bowl.
5. Remove bagels from the refrigerator and allow to sit for 30 minutes. Fill a bowl with water. Throw in a bagel. If it floats, the bagels are ready to poach. If it doesn’t, wait 10 minutes and try again.
6. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Meanwhile, prepare the poaching bath. In a large saucepan, bring 2 quarts water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the honey and baking soda.
7. Poach the bagels: Using a slotted spoon, lower 3 bagels at a time into the liquid. Cook on one side for 1 minute. Flip the bagels over to poach the other side, 1 minute more. Using a slotted spoon, return to the lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining bagels. Sprinkle with the everything topping.
8. Reduce the oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake the bagels until golden, 18-20 minutes, rotating the sheet front to back halfway through baking.
9. To serve: Halve a bagel and toast if desired. Smear with cream cheese and top with lox. Sandwich the halves together and cut in half crosswise. Store any leftover bagels in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Adapted from “Breakfast: The Cookbook” by Emily Elyse Miller (Phaidon, $49.95, May 29, 2019).
