Bagels

This is the first post from new B.O.T.E. contributor Katie Sanders!

Once upon a time, I had the most amazing bagel. Granted, I was under the influence of pain killers, flat beer and jet-lag at the time, but still, that bagel stands out as the most amazing I’ve ever had. It was chewy and dense, yet somehow still delicate. I didn’t bother to dress it up, because I could tell just by looking that to put anything on it would be something akin to a chef’s sacrilege. It was plain bagel bliss. Since that day I have looked in vain for a bagel to be it’s equal. For years I have remained disappointed.

Until now.

I took the bagel-bull-by-the-horns and decided to make my own. I’ve done this before, but much like the perfect product, the perfect recipe has eluded me. Having tried several formulas, I took the best of the best, then made it better, and simplified it so that the perfect bagel can be yours, (and most importantly mine) in next to no time.

BAGELS

4 cups bread flour

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon instant yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water

A large pot of boiling water

A lined baking tray

Method:

A Kitchen Aid mixer is the easiest way to mix the dough, but you can certainly do this by hand. I always start doughs in the mixer and finish them by hand anyway.

When using instant yeast it isn’t necessary to start the yeast with sugar and water before adding it to the mix. However, I always do. It’s a throw back to my days as a pastry chef… I want to be SURE that yeast is working before I go the trouble of making anything with it. So, go ahead and mix the sugar, warm water and yeast in a small bowl, and allow it to sit for about five minutes. At this point the yeast should be dissolved and you should see some bubbles. It should smell …. yeasty.

Once the yeast is working, mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. I always add the oil and salt last. There are very good reasons for doing this, (salt inhibits yeast production and oil will coat any undissolved yeast, halting the fermentation process,) but really, all you need to remember is to add those two things at the end.

Mix away! If you’re doing this by hand, put on some music with a good rhythm and get to work. You’re going to be at this for a while. Good bagels are chewy, that means a strong gluten structure. The only way to build strong gluten is with elbow grease. If you have the luxury of a mixer, let it do the hard work for the first five minutes or so. Once the dough has formed a nice ball that comes away from the sides of the bowl, take over and finish the dough by hand. Keep kneading until you have a smooth ball that is getting difficult to work.

Divide the ball into eight equal parts, shape them into balls by rolling them under the palm of your hand on the counter, then set them aside and cover them with plastic wrap for 20 minutes.

After the dough balls have rested, the fun really begins. Take each ball with both your hands. Poke your fingers up through the center of the ball from the bottom. Make a hole, then make it bigger, and bigger and bigger…. until you have a bagel! Work the bagel into a nice round shape, then place back under plastic to rest for another 20 minutes.

While all your balls are resting pre-heat your oven to 425 F, and set a large pot, (the biggest you have) of water to boil on the stove. Some people put a little sugar in the water, I haven’t noticed a difference with or without it.

Once the bagels are rested and puffy looking, take them one at a time and gently drop them into the boiling water. Put as  many as you can in the pot without crowding them. They will get bigger, and if there are too many they will come out square. Let them boil for about two minutes, flip them over and let them go for another two minuets. Take them out using the handle of a wooden spoon, placing them on a lined or well greased baking tray. If you want to put seeds on top, act now! dip the wet bagels in a seeds, working quickly because they will dry off in no time.

Now, just bake. My oven took about 20 minutes, but since it’s a piece of crap and I might as well be baking in a toaster oven, yours might not take as long. Use your judgment folks … when they look done, and smell done, they are done. If at all possible, allow the bagels to cool for a good fifteen minutes before you attempt to slice them. I know it’s hard, but have faith, the wait is worth it.