stories : Project
How to Make the Ultimate Bagel (cont.)
From Raw to Cooked in Pictures
My goal was to develop a recipe that produced the archetypal bagel flavor and texture, yet was quick and easy. It existed somewhere between the simplest recipe I could find, Nick Malgieri’s from How to Bake, and Rose Levy Beranbaum’s 10-page tutorial in The Bread Bible.
Gathering all the ingredients for bagel magic: yeast, water, bread flour, malt syrup, kosher salt, sugar, and an egg.
The yeast gets dissolved in water (1), and the wet ingredients get dumped in (2) for an easy mix without having to worry about kneading.
The dough almost immediately comes together, and after a few minutes it starts to look shredded.
Once the dough has come together and is smooth (1), it’s time to let it rise (2). After a few minutes, the dough has risen (though not doubled in size) and springs back when poked (3).
The dough gets divided into 12 pieces (1), then rolled into 9-inch ropes (2), and finally connected to form a circle (3). The bagels are taking shape!
The bagels sink as soon as they’re added to the simmering water but bob to the surface in a matter of seconds.
After being brushed with egg wash and topped as desired (we chose poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and coarse salt), the bagels are off to the oven to be baked.
The bagels are done.
I used to work at a bagelry, and I wanted to add this quick word of advice:
bagels topped w/ kosher salt are awesome, but impossible to keep longer than 1 day. The salt leeches moisture from the bagels and they become rock-hard. So, if you're making a batch and planning on freezing some for later (don't forget to split them first!) you should eat salt bagels the day they are made, & save the poppy & sesame.
I always assumed the water bagels get boiled in had to contain lye, baking soda, or some other alkali salt (like the alkali solutions used for pretzel baking). Is this not the case?
Wow. Rolls with holes. That's exactly the way I have been describing most bagels sold today, especially in Manhattan. This article says it all about what's wrong with the modern bagel. I have one of those bagel guillotines that easily slice bagels in 2. Well, I haven't been able to use it on most bagels because they are way to puffy and won't fit into the device.
this has been on my to-do list for the longest time. all the bagel joints within walking distance of my apartment went to total shit - giant, softball size dough puffs - and i strenuously object to getting on the subway to go get a bagel. so i guess homemade is the way to go. i'll have to make myself some scallion cream cheese, too.
"Those of us who can’t drop into a shop like Absolute are left with only memories and dreams of the crackly, chewy bagels we grew up on, or tasted while passing through NYC." Not so! Come to Montreal and experience bagels the way they are meant to be. Fairmount and Saint-Viateur Bagels boil their dough in water (with a bit of honey) and bake them in sixty year-old wood ovens. The best!
Re: Salt, and bagels keeping. With or without salt, good day-old bagels aren't going to be that great. They're really best the first day.
Re: Alkaline water. At the bakery/café where I work, we do add baking soda to the water. It makes for a better, glossier crust.
Lastly, find a bagel recipe that starts with a sponge. Whilst malt is important to flavor, a sponge or poolish imparts strength and flavor to the final product. A poolish is a batter, usually most of the water for the dough, an equal part (in weight) or flour, and some yeast that sits and develops for an hour (or two or three). It develops some acidity that give the dough more complexity and protease, an enzyme that denatures protein, thrives in a wet environment and makes the dough easier to handle and shape.
I have made bagels once or twice, with mixed results. They didn't really bake evenly. But the ones that came out right were fantastic. This has inspired me to try again.
A word of caution, though. If the water is boiling vigorously, the bagel will be deflated and bizarre when it comes out of the pot. I would recommend just the barest boil/highest simmer you can manage. Also, you'll want to use the widest pan you can boil water in -- easier to get them in and out.
I'm from Montreal (now living in SF) and make a point of bringing back bags of bagels from St-Viateur or Fairmount whenever I travel home. When I lived in NYC, H&H were a decent stand-in, but nowhere near the "doesn't need to be toasted" excellence of Montreal bagels.
I've yet to find Montreal-style bagels in SF, but will definitely check out House of Bagels. If anyone else has a close-to-Montreal perfection bagel joint to suggest, please do tell.
Sonny's Bagels in South Orange, NJ still does it the right way.
Oh my gosh! I just made these and they are fabulous! I cut the salt back to two teaspoons and added some brown sugar to the water before I boiled them. They came out just dark enough, crunchy.crackly on the outside and tender chewy inside. And the recipe couldn't be easier. No more store bought second rate bagels for us!
Rather than the rope technique, I say roll the divided dough in a circular motion with your palm and fingers, as you would for a pizza dough ball or a dinner roll. Poke your finger through the center of the ball, insert your other index finger and stretch/rotate it out. This reduces the awkward lumps or tails.
Montreal style bagels are hard to beat. I've been living in Toronto for about a year now and I still can't find a decent substitute. I also stayed in Baltimore for 4 months and no luck there either. American style bagels are thick, doughy and not very flavorful most of the time. I wish someone would open up a decent bagel place. They say the secret is in the water and that it makes all the difference which is why it can't be duplicated. Any thoughts?
thank you all for the wonderful advice. I haven't even tried to make bagels yet but now i have some wisdom *wink* thanks y'all.
hey trswoman. i feel your pain. i drive from grimsby ontario all the way into toronto for bagels. the best place by far is bagel world. if you go north on bathurst and a left on wilson. bagel world will be on your right in the strip mall. i drove around toronto one day in search of the best i could find and bagel world is the place. not to mention unbelievable pastries and breads. give it a try.
Agreed - Bagel World with Kivas (Bathurst and Steeles) as a close second!