High Protein Bagels (Greek Yogurt or Cottage Cheese)
High protein bagels made with yeast and either Greek yogurt or cottage cheese, no protein powder. They come together in an afternoon and carry about 19 grams of protein each, with the real chew of a boiled and baked bagel.
Servings: 6 Bagels
Calories: 370kcal
Equipment
- Blender (for the cottage cheese version)
- - Stand mixer with dough hook
- kitchen scale
- Large pot
- Slotted spoon or spider
- Parchment-lined baking sheet
- Instant read thermometer
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 550 grams bread flour 4 2/3 cups
- 300 grams nonfat cottage cheese 1 1/3 cups (see notes section for greek yogurt adjustment)
- 23 grams milk 1 1/2 tablespoons
- 70 grams egg whites about 2 large
- 50 grams warm water 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (divided, 30g for the yeast bloom/20g for the dough)
- 21 grams light brown sugar packed (1 1/2 tablespoons)
- 11 grams kosher salt 2 teaspoons
- 8 grams active dry yeast 2 1/2 teaspoons
For the Boiling Bath
- 2000 grams water 8 cups
- 21 grams honey 1 tablespoon
- 14 grams baking soda 1 tablespoon
For the Egg Wash, optional
- 1 egg white
- 15 grams water 1 tablespoon
Instructions
- Bloom the yeast first so you know it is alive before you commit the whole batch. Warm 30 grams of the water to about 110°F, stir in a pinch of the brown sugar and the active dry yeast, and let it stand 5 to 10 minutes until foamy. If it does not foam, the yeast is dead and you should start over.
- Blend the cottage cheese with the milk until completely smooth, since any curd that survives the blender turns into a wet spot in the crumb. Warm the blend about 30 seconds, just enough to take the chill off.
- Whisk the flour and salt together in the mixer bowl. Add the blended cottage cheese, egg whites, the rest of the brown sugar, the bloomed yeast, and the remaining 20 grams of water, then mix to a shaggy mass.
- Cover and rest 15 minutes. Dairy hydrates flour slowly, so this rest lets the dough come together properly and keeps you from adding water it does not actually need.
- Knead 6 to 8 minutes in the mixer on speed 2, or about 8 minutes by hand, until the dough is firm, smooth, and clears the bowl. It should feel stiff rather than soft. If it will not come together, add water a little at a time, and if it clings to the bowl, add a little flour.
- Cover and bulk ferment 60 to 90 minutes at room temperature, until puffy and about half again as large. Do not let it double, because a dough taken past its peak goes slack and loses its shape in the boil.
- Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces at about 172 grams each. Shape each into a tight ball, pressing out any large trapped air, then cover and rest 10 minutes.
- Poke through the center of each ball and stretch the hole to about 1 3/4 inches. Open it wider than looks right, because it closes as the bagels proof and again in the oven.
- Proof the shaped bagels 20 to 30 minutes. Float test one in cool water and boil the batch as soon as it floats. A poke should spring back slowly and leave only a slight indent.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and bring the water to a boil in a large pot, then stir in the honey and baking soda and bring it back to a gentle boil. A gentle boil sets a smooth, glossy skin, while a hard rolling boil sets it rough and can wrinkle the tops.
- Boil the bagels 30 to 45 seconds per side, top side down first, laying them in gently and flipping with a slotted spoon. The longer end of that range gives a chewier, firmer skin.
- Lift each bagel out to drain for a few seconds, rest 1 to 2 minutes on a rack, then move to the parchment lined baking sheet. If you are washing them, brush on a thin egg wash now while the surface is tacky, then add any toppings.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes, rotating once, until deep golden. They are done at 195 to 205°F in the center. The dairy browns the outside quickly, so trust the thermometer over the color, and let them cool before cutting so the crumb can finish setting.
Notes
Storage:
Store bagels at room temperature in a sealed bag for up to 2 days. Avoid the fridge, which stales bread faster than the counter.
Make Ahead:
To bake fresh in the morning, cut the yeast to 4 to 5 grams and shorten the bulk to 45 to 60 minutes, then shape and refrigerate the shaped bagels up to 12 hours. Boil straight from the fridge and bake as written. Baked bagels also freeze well for up to 3 months when sliced, and they toast well straight from frozen.
Substitutions:
For a Greek yogurt version, swap the cottage cheese and milk for 300 grams nonfat Greek yogurt, warmed about 30 seconds.
Bump the salt slightly and pull the added water down, since yogurt runs wetter than blended cottage cheese.
In the boiling bath you can use 14 grams barley malt syrup in place of the honey for a more traditional malt flavor.
Tips:
Blend the cottage cheese completely smooth so the crumb bakes even. Trust a stiff dough, since the water in dairy is bound to its solids and the dough reads wetter on paper than it feels in your hands. Keep the boil gentle and bake to temperature rather than color, because the dairy browns fast.
Alternative Sizing:
For 7 smaller bagels, divide the dough at about 148 grams each. The protein comes to about 16 grams per bagel and the calories to about 315.
Toppings:
Brush the boiled bagels with a thin egg wash so toppings stick, then press on everything seasoning, sesame or poppy seeds, or flaky salt before baking. For a cheesy bagel, press shredded cheese on for the last few minutes in the oven.
