Bagels Revisited

Nice and round!

Does practice make perfect or at least better? I could sing until the cows come home, but never will I sound melodious (not quite tone deaf, but close).  Okay, so maybe for things not requiring some kind of innate ability, practicing something repeatedly will almost always make you better.  I hate baking something that doesn't live up to my expectations.  My last attempt at making bagels was a disappointment - so here I am getting back on the proverbial horse.  I have to say the experience this time around was completely different. I think the pictures speak for themselves.

I like the simplicity of the recipe that is an adaptation from Ultimate Bread by Eric Treuille & Ursula Ferrignox.  I am getting so close to my ultimate bagel.  This recipes yields a pleasant chewy bagel with a nice crisp crust. My only criticism is that it needs a little more flavor.  I had intended to add some malt powder to the dough, but being my scatterbrain self, I forgot.  So maybe that is the ingredient that will take it to the next level.

Dough formed into balls

Poked the holes into the balls

Bagels are boiling.

Cooling on the rack

Bagels
Adapted from The Sophisticated Gourmet who modified a recipe from Ultimate Bread by Eric Treuille & Ursula Ferrignox

2 teaspoons of active dry yeast
1 ½ tablespoons of granulated sugar
1 ¼ cups of warm water (you may need ± ¼ cup more)
3 ½ cups (500g) of bread flour or high gluten flour (will need extra for kneading)
1 ½ teaspoons of salt
Non-diastatic malt powder to add to boiling water

Optional Toppings:
Caraway seeds, coarse salt, minced fresh garlic, minced fresh onion, poppy seeds, or sesame seeds.

Preparation:
1. In ½ cup of the warm water, pour in the sugar and yeast. Do not stir. Let it sit for five minutes, and then stir the yeast and sugar mixture, until it all dissolves in the water.

2. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in the yeast and sugar mixture.

3. Pour half of the remaining warm water into the well. Mix and stir in the rest of the water as needed. Depending on where you live, you may need to add anywhere from a couple tablespoons to about ¼ cup of water. You want to result in a moist and firm dough after you have mixed it.

4. On a floured countertop, knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Try working in as much flour as possible to form a firm and stiff dough.

5. Lightly brush a large bowl with oil and turn the dough to coat. Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in size. Punch the dough down, and let it rest for another 10 minutes.

6. Carefully divide the dough into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a round. Now, take a dough ball, and press it gently against the countertop (or whatever work surface you’re using) moving your hand and the ball in a circular motion pulling the dough into itself while reducing the pressure on top of the dough slightly until a perfect dough ball forms. Repeat with 7 other dough rounds.

7. Coat a finger in flour, and gently press your finger into the center of each dough ball to form a ring. Stretch the ring to about ⅓ the diameter of the bagel and place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Repeat the same step with the remaining dough.

8. After shaping the dough rounds and placing them on the cookie sheet, cover with a damp kitchen towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425ºF.

9. Bring a large pot of water to a boil - add 2 T non-diastatic malt powder for every quart. Reduce the heat. Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to lower the bagels into the water. Boil as many as you are comfortable with boiling. Once the bagels are in, it shouldn’t take too long for them to float to the top (a couple seconds). Let them sit there for 1 minute, and them flip them over to boil for another minute. Extend the boiling times to 2 minutes each, if you’d prefer a chewier bagel (results will give you a more New York Style bagel with this option). Transfer boiled bagels to a lightly oiled baking sheet.

10. Brush on an egg wash to coat top and sides of the bagel. Add optional toppings, if using.

11. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.