Steven M

Your sourdough bagels are flat because they lack the gluten structure, tension, or steam needed to hold their shape during baking.   If you’ve been pulling beautifully puffed bagels out of the oven only to watch them deflate into dense, sad disks, you’re not alone.   This is one of the most common sourdough bagel … Read more

Your homemade bagels are wrinkled because they’ve lost moisture too quickly in the oven, usually from over-proofing, a dry crust forming during boiling, or an oven that isn’t steamy enough.   Wrinkled bagels happen when the outer skin sets and hardens before the inside has fully expanded, so the crust crinkles as the dough continues … Read more

Your homemade bagels are tough because of a handful of common dough-handling mistakes, and fixing them is easier than you think.   If your bagels come out with that dense, chewy, almost rubbery bite that feels like you’re gnawing on a tire, you’re probably dealing with over-kneading, under-hydration, or a baking technique that’s working against … Read more

Your homemade bagels are flat because of a handful of common mistakes that are actually really easy to fix once you know what to look for.   If you’ve been asking why are my homemade bagels flat, the short answer is usually that your dough lacked enough gluten structure, you skipped a crucial shaping step, … Read more

Your homemade bagels are chewy because the combination of high-protein flour, low hydration, and the classic boiling step creates that dense, tight crumb and resilient crust.   That’s the short answer, but if you’ve been scratching your head wondering why your homemade bagels are chewy in a way that feels more like a rubber tire … Read more

Your bagels are wrinkled because of a specific set of dough-handling and baking conditions that cause the outer skin to shrink and pucker.   It’s a frustrating sight when you pull a beautiful batch out of the oven only to find them looking like little brains, but the good news is that understanding why bagels … Read more

Your bagels are wet in the bag because of trapped condensation and moisture that has nowhere to escape.   When freshly baked bagels are placed in a sealed plastic bag while still warm, they release steam that turns into water droplets as it cools.   This is the most common reason why you open a … Read more

Your bagels are too chewy because of a combination of ingredient ratios, dough handling, and boiling technique that turns a tender bite into a tough, rubbery workout.   If you’ve ever bitten into a bagel and felt like you were chewing on a tire, you’re not alone, and the good news is that this is … Read more

Your bagels are dense because of a handful of common dough, hydration, and shaping mistakes that are all totally fixable.   If you’ve been asking why are my bagels so dense, the answer usually comes down to a few key culprits like overworking the dough, using too little water, or skipping the crucial boiling step. … Read more

Your bagels are sinking because your dough isn’t holding onto the air it needs to float.   If you’ve ever pulled a tray out of the oven and found dense, flat discs instead of tall, pillowy rings, you’re probably wondering why are my bagels sinking and what went wrong.   The good news is that … Read more