Bagel Bagel Bagel!!!!!!
Posted by Bob at 12/5/2010 11:39 AM 
Categories: Bread
Tags: Bagels Bagel Making bagels at home Bread Bakers Apprentice Bread Bakers Apprentice Challenge
Categories: Bread
Tags: Bagels Bagel Making bagels at home Bread Bakers Apprentice Bread Bakers Apprentice Challenge
This should make for an interesting Challenge...Bagels!! For those not paying attention, I am slowing going through the recipes in The Bread Baker's Apprentice, by Peter Reinhart, part of the friendly challenge that was found here at Pinchmysalt.com
So, on to the Bagels!
One interesting note is that I used some locally milled flour. The bag said White Bread Flour, but I'm not so sure. Looked more like whole wheat or something!
Step one, make the sponge. Simply a combination of yeast, flour and water. The ratios used for the sponge are supposed to make it come out looking like pancake batter, which it did:
After a couple of hours at room temperature, this lovely mix starts to bubble and rise. When this happens, it's time to add the rest of the ingredients (aka more yeast, more flour, more water, some salt, and some malt powder (which scarily, I happen to have)). I think my photos of all of this got lost somewhere. Probably because I had to spend a much larger time kneading this dough that I thought I would have to!
First, to try to knead by hand. Knead, knead, knead, knead. Finally some structure to the dough, but it's taking on a LOT of flour. Just like with my Greek Celebration Bread. At this point it still isn't getting to the point that it should be, which is to stretch a portion of the dough out and perform the "windowpane test". Basically stretching it out so you can see through it, without the dough breaking. My dough kept breaking. Next I tried to put it in the mixer. No good. The dough was way too stiff for my mixer. I would have fried the motor in a minute. After kneading by hand for a bit more, I thought..."hey, why not just knead about 1/2 of the dough in the mixer?!" It worked! Somewhat. The motor wasn't dying, but my dough still wasn't developing. Maybe it's that flour. I have to go talk to that guy today at Small World Bakery .
So, after having assumed it was good enough, it was time to shape the bagels. Start by forming 4.5 oz pieces of dough into rolls as shown:
After letting these beauties rest for 20 minutes, it's bagel formin' time! Simply poke a hole in the middle of the ball, and stretch out about 2.5 inches across. These now have to sit for at least 20 minutes, or until they pass the next test....can they float? Yes, float. Place one of the bagel doughs into a bowl of cool water, and it should sink and rise within 10 seconds.
However, I was getting hungry at this point, and decided that the dough would be ok if I left the house for a bit. Probably about an hour later I was home to these babies and decided to float them now. No sinking. Just instant float! I don't know if that's good or bad! Too late to do anything about it now.
Into the fridge overnight to retard the dough, and prepare them for a horrible death by boiling.
Pot o' water + 1 Tbs baking soda to a boil and in go the bagels! Three at a time are fitting. Boil for 1 minute, then flip and boil the other side for a minute.
The swell up a bit as this photo shows. More importantly it shows what my "white flour" looks like when it makes bagels.
Once they come out of the water, they are ready for whatever toppings you desire.
I made the following bagels:
Plain
Sesame
Salt
Onion (finely chopping some onion and mixing it with some olive oil)
and
Panko-Onion (same as onion, but adding Panko bread crumbs to the mix)
I think I undercooked them by a couple of minutes. I followed the recipes guidelines of 5 minutes at 500, rotate, and 5 minutes at 450. Well, I baked 7 minutes at 450. Until a couple of the bagels started to develop cracks. Here's my sesame! Overall, a good bagel. I think I need more practice at them. Surprisingly easy to make, but still need some work on my end!
So, on to the Bagels!
One interesting note is that I used some locally milled flour. The bag said White Bread Flour, but I'm not so sure. Looked more like whole wheat or something!
Step one, make the sponge. Simply a combination of yeast, flour and water. The ratios used for the sponge are supposed to make it come out looking like pancake batter, which it did:
After a couple of hours at room temperature, this lovely mix starts to bubble and rise. When this happens, it's time to add the rest of the ingredients (aka more yeast, more flour, more water, some salt, and some malt powder (which scarily, I happen to have)). I think my photos of all of this got lost somewhere. Probably because I had to spend a much larger time kneading this dough that I thought I would have to!
First, to try to knead by hand. Knead, knead, knead, knead. Finally some structure to the dough, but it's taking on a LOT of flour. Just like with my Greek Celebration Bread. At this point it still isn't getting to the point that it should be, which is to stretch a portion of the dough out and perform the "windowpane test". Basically stretching it out so you can see through it, without the dough breaking. My dough kept breaking. Next I tried to put it in the mixer. No good. The dough was way too stiff for my mixer. I would have fried the motor in a minute. After kneading by hand for a bit more, I thought..."hey, why not just knead about 1/2 of the dough in the mixer?!" It worked! Somewhat. The motor wasn't dying, but my dough still wasn't developing. Maybe it's that flour. I have to go talk to that guy today at Small World Bakery .
So, after having assumed it was good enough, it was time to shape the bagels. Start by forming 4.5 oz pieces of dough into rolls as shown:
After letting these beauties rest for 20 minutes, it's bagel formin' time! Simply poke a hole in the middle of the ball, and stretch out about 2.5 inches across. These now have to sit for at least 20 minutes, or until they pass the next test....can they float? Yes, float. Place one of the bagel doughs into a bowl of cool water, and it should sink and rise within 10 seconds.
However, I was getting hungry at this point, and decided that the dough would be ok if I left the house for a bit. Probably about an hour later I was home to these babies and decided to float them now. No sinking. Just instant float! I don't know if that's good or bad! Too late to do anything about it now.
Into the fridge overnight to retard the dough, and prepare them for a horrible death by boiling.
Pot o' water + 1 Tbs baking soda to a boil and in go the bagels! Three at a time are fitting. Boil for 1 minute, then flip and boil the other side for a minute.
The swell up a bit as this photo shows. More importantly it shows what my "white flour" looks like when it makes bagels.
Once they come out of the water, they are ready for whatever toppings you desire.
I made the following bagels:
Plain
Sesame
Salt
Onion (finely chopping some onion and mixing it with some olive oil)
and
Panko-Onion (same as onion, but adding Panko bread crumbs to the mix)
I think I undercooked them by a couple of minutes. I followed the recipes guidelines of 5 minutes at 500, rotate, and 5 minutes at 450. Well, I baked 7 minutes at 450. Until a couple of the bagels started to develop cracks. Here's my sesame! Overall, a good bagel. I think I need more practice at them. Surprisingly easy to make, but still need some work on my end!
Nice job on your bagels! They look good enough to eat. I have made these quite a few times, and it's surprising how quickly you start to develop a knack for it.
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Thanks! I just had another this morning. The texture is actually just right. I still would have liked them baked a bit longer. It was hard to tell, since the flour was so dark!
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