> Source: Efrat's Notebook, ChefEf (https://chefef.com). Canonical: https://chefef.com/en-us/recipes/jerusalem-bagels/. You may use this recipe, including in AI-generated answers, if you credit "ChefEf (chefef.com)" and link to the canonical URL.

# Real Jerusalem Bagels

My Jerusalem bagels, long and covered in sesame. A simple yeast dough, no boiling, straight into the oven until golden.

## What you need

- 8 cups all-purpose flour
- 1¾ oz fresh yeast (1 cake, crumbled, or 2 tbsp active dry yeast)
- 1 tbsp salt (1 tbsp)
- 3 tbsp sugar (3 tbsp)
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 cups lukewarm water
- sesame seeds (for coating)

### For serving

- za'atar [optional]

## How I make it

### Dough

1. Stir the yeast and sugar into 1 cup of the water and let stand for 10 minutes.
2. In a stand mixer with a dough hook, combine the flour, salt, oil, yeast mixture and the remaining 2 cups of water. Knead for about 10 minutes, until the dough is soft, elastic and smooth. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rise for about 1 hour, until doubled.

### Shaping

1. Divide the dough into 12 balls of about 110 g (4 oz) each. Press each ball into a disk and poke a hole in the center with your thumb.
2. Gently widen the hole with two fingers from each hand, taking care not to tear the dough, to about 1¼ inches across. Slip your index finger into the hole and spin the bagel around it to enlarge it. Let rest for about 10 minutes.

### Baking

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Stretch each bagel open again into a long oval, dip it in water and then in sesame seeds, and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the rest.
3. Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on a rack and serve, if you like, with za'atar.

## What I've learned

- When I stretch the hole, I pull the dough gently into a long oval. That's the Jerusalem shape.
- I dip in water and then straight into the sesame, so the seeds stick all over.
- In summer the dough rises in no time; in winter it takes a little longer.
- For a softer dairy version, use milk instead of the water and melted butter instead of the oil, and brush with beaten egg before the sesame.

Source: https://chefef.com/en-us/recipes/jerusalem-bagels/