Bagels - Popular American Breakfast Bread

Bagels , my long time wish to bake these . what I know about bagels was that it was an American breakfast bread . yes , it was true , it was the common breakfast of most of the americans.

 When I searched in Wikipedia , I came to know more about  as follows  - A bagel , also spelled beigel, is a bread originating in Poland , traditionally shaped by hand into the form of a ring from yeasted wheat dough, roughly hand-sized, which is first boiled for a short time in water and then baked. The result is a dense, chewy, doughy interior with a browned and sometimes crisp exterior. Bagels are often topped with seeds baked on the outer crust, with the traditional ones being poppy , sunflower or sesame seeds.  Some also may have salt sprinkled on their surface, and there are also a number of different dough types, such as whole-grain or rye. Check my Russian Bagel Bublik.

Though the origins of bagels are somewhat obscure, it is known that they were widely consumed in East European Jewish communities from the 17th century. The first known mention of the bagel, in 1610, was in Jewish community ordinances in Kraków, Poland.

Bagels are now a popular bread product in North America, especially in cities with a large Jewish population, many with different ways of making bagels. Like other bakery products, bagels are available (either fresh or frozen, and often in many flavor varieties) in many major supermarkets in those countries.

Bagels is really easy recipe however requires two days of preparation.First day you make the dough and second day bake it.

Bagels
 
    This recipe is adapted from
          Peter Reinhart’s Artisan Bread Every Day

Makes 6 bagels

Ingredients

For Dough

      ●  1 tablespoon (0.75 oz / 21 g) barley malt syrup, honey, or rice syrup, or 1 teaspoon (0.25 oz / 7 g) diastatic malt powder

      ●  1 teaspoon (0.11 oz / 3 g) instant yeast

      ●  1 1/2 teaspoons (0.37 oz / 10.5 g) salt, or 2 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

      ●  1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (9 oz / 255 g) lukewarm water (about 95°F or 35°C)

      ●  3 1/2 cups (16 oz / 454 g) unbleached bread flour 
Poaching liquid

      ●  2to3quarts(64to96oz/181to272g)water

      ●  1 1/2 tablespoons (1 oz / 28.5 g) barley malt syrup or honey (optional)

      ●  1 tablespoon (0.5 oz / 14 g) baking soda

      ●  1 teaspoon (0.25 oz / 7 g) salt, or 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt 


Method :

Preparation 
Day before baking 


   To make the dough stir the malt syrup ( I used honey ) , yeast and  salt into the lukewarm water in a bowl.

    Place the flour into a mixing bowl and pour in the malt syrup /  honey.

    

        If using a mixer, use the dough hook and mix on the lowest speed for 3 minutes. If mixing by hand, use a large, sturdy spoon and stir for about 3 minutes, until well blended. The dough should form a stiff, coarse ball, and the flour should be fully hydrated;

  Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.

   Resume mixing with the dough hook on the lowest speed for another 3 minutes or transfer to a very lightly floured work surface and knead by hand for about 3 minutes to smooth out the dough.

    
     Place the dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise at room temperature for 1 hour.

  I proofed the full piece of dough in the oiled bowl overnight and then shape the bagels on baking day, 60 to 90 minutes before boiling and baking them, or as soon as they pass the float test.

    You can shape the bagels on the day in which dough is made and let it proof overnight or 12 hours.

On baking day

   When you’re ready to shape the bagels, prepare a sheet pan by lining it with parchment paper or a silicone mat, lightly coating it with oil.

     Divide the dough into 6 to 8 equal pieces. (A typical bagel is about 4 ounces or 113 grams before baking, but you can make them smaller.)

  Form each piece into a loose ball by rolling it on a clean, dry work surface with a cupped hand. (Don’t use any flour on the work surface. If the dough slides around and won’t ball up, wipe the surface with a damp paper towel and try again; the slight bit of moisture will provide enough traction for the dough to form into a ball.)
 . Then poke a hole through the center of the ball to create a donut shape.

    Holding the dough with both thumbs in the hole, rotate the dough with your hands, gradually stretching it to create a hole about 2 inches in diameter.

    Place each shaped bagel on the baking pan, then mist with spray oil or brush with a light coating of oil. Cover the entire pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight if  shaped day before or for up to 2 days for later use.

    Remove the bagels from the refrigerator 60 to 90 minutes before you plan to bake them, if shaped on first day.

     Float test: Place one of the bagels in a small bowl of cold water.If it sinks and doesn’t float back to the surface, shake it off, return it to the pan, and wait for another 15 to 20 minutes, then test it again. When one bagel passes the float test, they’re all ready to be boiled.

  If they pass the float test before you are ready to boil and bake them, return them to the refrigerator so they don’t overproof.

  To make the poaching liquid : Fill a pot with 2 to 3 quarts (64 to 96 oz / 181 to 272 g) of water, making sure the water is at least 4 inches deep. Cover, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain at a simmer. Stir in the malt syrup, baking soda, and salt.

  Gently lower each bagel into the simmering poaching liquid, adding as many as will comfortably fit in the pot. They should all float to the surface within 15 seconds. After 1 minute, use a slotted spoon to turn each bagel over. Poach for another 30 to 60 seconds, then use the slotted spoon to transfer it back to the pan, domed side up. (It’s important that the parchment paper be lightly oiled, or the paper will glue itself to the dough as the bagels bake) .

     Sprinkle on a generous amount of whatever toppings you like as soon as the bagels come out of the water .  Use any of the garnishes (seeds, onions, garlic, and so on).

I used  sesame seeds  as topping.

  Transfer the pan of bagels to the  preheated oven,

  Bake for  20 minutes @ 220 * C  , until the bagels are a golden brown.

 check the underside of the bagels while baking .If they’re getting too dark, place another pan under the baking sheet. (Doubling the pan will insulate the first baking sheet.)

     Cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing or serving.

    Bagels are ready to serve.

Sending to Bready Steady Go happening  @  Jen’s Food and Utterly Scrummy Food For Families .

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