For those mornings where you simply MUST have a New York-style bagel. A golden, crispy exterior gives way to the chewy, fluffy center filled with gooey chocolate chips. Serve by itself for a perfect breakfast-on-the-go, or smear on some butter, cream cheese, jam, or your favorite bagel spread for a decadent way to start the day!
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The Northeast region of the United States has undoubtedly mastered one culinary achievement: crusty, artisan-style bread. Believe me, having moved to the Midwest-- where they steam their bagels to soggy oblivion-- I set out to replicate the same puffy, chewy bagels with crispy, aerated crusts from back home.
The golden crusts are dotted with tiny air bubbles that provide a crispy contrast to the warm, fluffy interiors speckled with gooey chocolate chips, making these bagels unique to the Tri-State Area.
How to Serve
These bagels are divine on their own, especially when lightly toasted and the chocolate chips melt slightly into pools of chocolate-- yes, please!! Otherwise, pair these bagels with salted butter, cream cheese, your favorite jam, marmalade, or even Nutella for a unique dessert!
Why Chocolate Lovers Make This Recipe
- Sweet and savory -- the sugar from the dough and the chocolate chips are the only "sweet" elements, making this recipe perfect for those with a more savory palate.
- Breakfast for the week -- while there is nothing like a fresh bagel right from the oven, these bagels actually last between 5-7 days; just run the entire bagel under cold water for a few seconds before toasting on low heat to return them to their Day 1 glory.
- Perfect pairings -- chocolate has timeless pairings with all sorts of coffee and tea blends. Next time, put the kettle on before sitting down to enjoy these scrumptious bagels to really start your day right. And if you're looking for toppings, butter, nut butters, cream cheese, marmalade, and several fruit jams all take these bagels to the next level (though I actually prefer these on their own, they're that good ;)).
- Great for kids -- serve these at your next picnic, or pop these bagels into your kids' lunchboxes for a lunchtime treat.
Ingredients
This recipe comes together with just a handful of simple ingredients, keeping your weekend morning easy and fun. Some key ingredients include:
Bread flour -- bread flour contains the most protein for proper gluten formation. While you can technically use all-purpose flour instead, know that the bagels won't rise as much or have the correct structure as pictured above.
Yeast -- no matter what type of yeast you use in this recipe, ensure it is still active so that the bagels properly rise. See "Tips for Success" if you need help determining the activity of your yeast.
Barley malt syrup -- often confused with molasses, this syrup is the secret ingredient used in New York-style (or Jersey-style, in my case 😉 ) bagels. It has a similar flavor profile to molasses, but far less sweet, and you can definitely taste the difference in the final product if you choose to omit it. I couldn't find a jar in stores around me here in the Midwest, but I found Eden Organic Traditional Barley Malt Syrup on Amazon and have since exclusively used this in all of my bagel recipes.
Baking soda -- do not eliminate! Baking soda is what gives the bagels those crackly air bubbles that are characteristic of bagels.
Chocolate chips -- I used semi-sweet chocolate chips so they paired well with the rest of the savory ingredients, but you can use milk or dark chocolate morsels if you wish.
Tips for Success
- To test your yeast, fill a measuring cup with 100ml (½ cup) warm water, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and 7g (1 packet) of yeast. Stir, wait 10 minutes, and if the mixture has frothed and doubled in size, the yeast is still good to use.
- Salt kills yeast, so ensure these ingredients are far apart from each other when you initially make the dough.
- You can knead the dough either by hand or in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. Knead for about 10 minutes; the dough will be smooth and elastic, and stretch instead of tear when pulled apart. Check the stretchiness of your dough periodically so as to not underwork or overwork the dough, which will negatively impact the end result.
- Knead in the chocolate chips after the dough has fully come together (you don't want to add water directly onto chocolate chips)! Waiting too late to add the chocolate chips, like when the bread if proofing, runs the risk of unevenly distributing the chips throughout each bagel.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Store the bagels in a paper bag either on the counter, in the microwave, or in a bread box for 5-7 days. To reheat, run the bagels under cold running water for a few seconds before heating in the oven (or toaster oven) on ~250 F until crispy.
Chocolate Chip Bagels
Equipment
- 1 digital scale
- 1 electric stand mixer optional
- 2 large mixing bowls
- 1 bench scraper or sharp knife
- 1 dish towel
- plastic wrap
- 1 large pot
- 1 spider strainer
- 1 baking sheet
- 1 sheet parchment paper
- 1 wire cooling rack
Ingredients
- 4 pounds bread flour
- 28 grams yeast
- 4 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 quart cold water
- 80 grams semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 170 grams barley malt syrup
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 2 eggs for egg wash
Instructions
- Measure out flour in a large mixing bowl. Pour salt on one side of the bowl, and the yeast on the other. Add three-quarters of the water and use your fingers to bring a "shaggy" dough together.
- Lightly flour your work surface and turn out the dough. Dust your hands with flour and begin kneading for about 10 minutes (or use your stand mixer with the dough hook attachment for 7-10 minutes). At the 2-minute mark, add the chocolate chips and continue kneading. Lightly grease another mixing bowl, place the dough in the center, cover with cling film, and let rest on the counter for 1 hour.
- Turn the dough out onto your work surface and knead for another 10-15 seconds. Cut the dough into balls measuring 200g each and assemble on a prepared baking sheet. Cover with a dish towel and let stand for 10-15 minutes.
- Poke a hole in the center of the dough ball and spin it around on your fingers to widen. Return the bagels to the prepared baking sheet and cover with the towel for another 20 minutes.
- During this final rise, bring a pot of water to the boil and pour in the barley malt syrup and baking soda before reducing to a simmer. Boil the bagels ~15 seconds per side, then return to the baking sheet.
- Whisk the eggs together and brush over the tops of each bagel, then bake at 475℉ for 15-17 minutes, rotating the pan at the 10-minute mark for even baking. Remove when the bagels are dark golden brown and transfer to a wire cooling rack.
