Bagels

I used to live 3 blocks from House of Bagels, so it was easy enough to walk over when the mood struck but now the only place close by is Safeway and what they call bagels don't even vaguely resemble the real thing. I started researching and found lots of different recipes with many small variations. I've finally settled on this method and ingredients.

Dough

4 cups of flour
1 tbl brown sugar
1 tbl active dry yeast
2 tsp salt
1 tbl poppyseed (optional)
1 1/2 cups of warm water

Boiling Water Bath

4 qts water
1 tbl white sugar
1 tbl brown sugar

Toppings

1 egg white beaten until frothy with 1 tbl of water
poppy seeds
sesame seeds
finely minced onions
caraway seeds
minced garlic






Mix the dry ingredients then add the water and mix until it comes together in a dough. Using a kitchenaid mixer will make this a lot easier. Knead until smooth and elastic. I finish kneading the last couple of minutes by hand. If the dough is at all sticky add a bit more flour so that the dough is smooth and elastic. I've used both all purpose flour and I've added extra wheat gluten to give the effect of bread flour and haven't seen any appreciable difference in the result.

Allow the dough to rise for about an hour, covered, or until almost doubled in bulk.

Remove the dough from the bowl and punch down. Using a knife or dough scraper cut the dough into 10 equal sized pieces.

There are 2 schools of thought on how to form the bagels. One is to roll the dough into a log ans then loop it into a circle and press it together. The other is to form it into a ball then press it flat and push your finger through the middle to form the hole. I use the 2nd method as I find it's very fast and there is no chance of the ends coming apart during boiling.

Place the formed bagels on an oiled cookie sheet and allow to proof covered with a towel for 20-30 minutes.

While the bagels are proofing bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add 1 tbl of brown sugar and 1 tbl of white sugar to the water.

After the bagels have proofed drop them 3 or so at a time into the boiling water and allow them to simmer for about 3 minutes. Flip them over with a slotted spoon halfway through..

Remove the bagels with a slotted spoon and drain on a clean towel

Preheat oven to 425°

Brush the tops of the bagel with the beaten egg white and sprinkle the toppings of your choice on top.

Bake in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Remove and cool on racks.

Note and Hints

Make sure the dough is very dry and stiff. As you work it by hand it should not be sticky. When mixing it in the mixer it should barely absorb all the flour. If it's damp start will a little less than the required water, only add more if the flour doesn't get absorbed after several minutes of vigorous mixing and kneading.

Form the bagels a little smaller than you think they should be. I get a dozen from this recipe. They will expand quite a bit as they are boiled.

Make sure the hole in the center is well formed. If it's not big enough it will tend to close as the bagel rises.