According to at least one extensive history of the bagel, the donut's savory cousin with a crunchy crust has roots in 14th-century Poland or possibly earlier. When did bagel bakers start putting green dye into the dough for St. Patrick's Day? That's a tough call. At least one accounting firm reports to eating green bagels on St. Patrick's Day for at least 35 years. Apparently the 1970s and '80s were a boom time for bagel innovation. The everything bagel appears to have been invented around then.
Making a green bagel is fairly similar to a regular one. Mix the dough with yeast, high-gluten flour, water, salt, brown sugar and green dye. Mix, let rise, cut into pieces, let rest, shape, boil in sweet water and bake. For those who think it's crazy to celebrate an Irish holiday with a traditionally Jewish bread, consider that Jews have been in Ireland since at least 1079 a.d. And really, any excuse to eat a bagel is a good one.
Green Bagel Recipe (with Video)
For details about the ingredients and steps for making a green bagel, see the recipe blow.
1-3/4 cups lukewarm water
5 drops green food coloring
1 generous tablespoon instant yeast
4 cups bread flour (high-gluten)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Water bath for boiling dough:
2 quarts water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1. Fill a bowl (or mixing bowl) with water and stir in green food coloring drops.
2. Add all dry bagel dough ingredients to a large bowl.
Using a mixer's dough hook or a wooden spoon), mix the ingredients on low speed for 10 minutes.
The dough should be stiff and able to hold its shape.
3. Add dough to an oiled bowl, cover, and let sit in a room-temperature spot (at least 65 F) for 1 hour until the dough is puffy.
Place dough on a wood or marble workspace and cut into 8 equal segments.
4. Roll each portion it into a ball. Place all of the pieces on a baking tray covered a moist towel, and let sit for 30 minutes.
5. About 25 minutes later, start the water bath on the stove and preheat the oven to 425 F degrees. The water bath should be a gentle boil.
Once your dough has rested, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Working on one dough ball at a time, poke a hole into the center and gently work it out so you have a made a 2-inch in diameter hole in the middle of the ball (see video). At this point they should look like a bagel. Add bagel to the parchment-lined baking sheet and continue until all bagels are made.
7. Use a spatula to move the tray over to the water station, drop two bagels in the boiling water at a time. Cook for 2 minutes on one side, flip and cook for 1 minute on the opposite side. Transfer boiled bagels back to parchment lined baking sheet. Continue until all bagels have been boiled.
8. Once all bagels have been boiled, put them in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes, flip the bagel, and cook for another 10 minutes on the remaining side.
9. Once bagels have been baked let them cool before cutting. Bagels should ideally be eaten within 4 to 5 hours after baking.