Bagels

Want a little story? Sure you do! I worked at a bagel shop...for SIX years. It was a huge corporate bagel shop. It was a horrible place to work. As for the bagels? Also horrible. Big fluffy bread-like bagels that were pulled from the freezer by the "baker". That place was a joke. One day, the boss man hired a new girl. The new girl and I became friends. About a year later we both quit. Some time passed and then, last May, I married this new girl. Yup, Wendy and I met at a bagel shop. It's not the most romantic story (or is it?) but hey, I can dig it. It's been over 4 years now. Thank you crappy bagel shop, for introducing me to the most wonderful person ever!



So bagels. There is no other food that can incite a riot quite like bagels can. You have the steamed bagel side, the boiled bagel side (boiled in lye or baking soda?), New York style, Montreal style and the list can go on. What is a true bagel? Heck, I don't know. It would be easier to solve world hunger than answer that. My opinion is, and I think the majority agree, a bagel HAS to be boiled to be a bagel, end of story. Now, some insist you have to boil them in lye, while other say baking soda, malt power, or honey.

For this however, I tested two ways. I boiled them in lye and in baking soda.

Lye produced a softer, chewier bagel. The lye has a distinctive flavor that you can taste on the crust. While this flavor is great on German pretzels (see my own German pretzels HERE) I don't think it pairs well with bagels.

Lye Bagels

Boiling in baking soda produces a bagel that's not as chewy and soft. I also think they had a better color after baking. The crust is not as smooth and shiny but is matte with little blisters.

Baking Soda Bagels

After trying both methods, I like the baking soda bagels much better (the pitchfork mob will be knocking on my door any second now). I still included both methods so you can decide for yourself.

Bagels
Makes 12 bagels
Adapted from The Bread Bakers Apprentice by Peter Reinhart 


What you'll need:

     Sponge:

1 teaspoon - instant yeast

4 cups - bread flour

2 1/2 cups - water, 72 degrees

     Dough

1/2 teaspoon - instant yeast

3 3/4 cups - bread flour

2 tablespoons - vital wheat gluten, optional

2 3/4 teaspoons - salt

1 tablespoon - honey

     For boiling water:

2 1/2 quarts (10 cups) - water

1 tablespoon - baking soda or 2 1/2 teaspoons food grade lye crystals

Instructions:

Stir all of the sponge ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Cover and let set at room temperature for 2 hours. Sponge will become bubbly.

When the sponge is ready, add all of the dough ingredients. Mix on second speed for about 6-10 minutes. The dough should be very stiff and pass the windowpane test. Add more flour or water to get the right consistency.

Turn the dough out onto a cutting bored. Shape into 12 - 4 1/2 ounce balls. Cover with a towel and let rest for 15 minutes. This will make shaping easier.

Roll the balls into about 6-8 inch ropes. If the ropes snap back on you, let them rest for 5 minutes.

 

Wrap the dough ropes around you hands overlapping the ends.

Push down on the overlapped ends and gently roll to attach the ends together.

With your hand inside of the hole, gently roll all around the bagel to make an even round shape.

 

Repeat with all of the dough balls and place on a parchment lined sheet tray. Let the bagels sit, covered, for 15-20 minutes. Place the covered bagels in the refrigerator and let them sit overnight.

When you're ready to bake the bagels, preheat your oven to 500. Bring the 2 1/2 quarts of water plus a pinch of salt to a boil in a large pot. Once the water is boiling, add the baking soda or the lye (which ever one you decided on).

Remove the bagels from the refrigerator. Gently drop three bagels (or however many fit comfortably in your pot) into the boiling water. Boil for 1 minute. Flip the bagels and boil for another minute. Remove the bagels from the water and place on a parchment lined tray. Be sure to spray the parchment with cooking spray. Repeat with all bagels.

If you want to put toppings on your bagels, Dip the tops into whatever you choose right after taking them out of the water.

When all bagels have been boiled bake at 500 for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes rotate the tray and drop the temperature to 450 and bake for another 5 minutes or until golden brown.

Let bagels cool for at least 20 minutes before you devour them.

Tips:

I like to top my bagels with sesame seeds or Parmesan cheese but of course you can get creative and throw whatever you would like.

You can make blueberry or cinnamon raisin bagels by added the desired amount of inclusions when you mix the dough.