Bagels

Instructions

This recipe requires four baking trays. If you don’t have that many, it’s fine–there’s ample time to wash up and ready them between steps.

Heat the water in a microwave for ten seconds. If you don’t have a microwave, use a small pot. You want the water just warm, not boiling. Tip in the yeast and a teaspoon of sugar. Allow it to foam for at least three minutes. If the yeast doesn’t get foamy, one of three things is wrong: the water is too cold, too hot, or the yeast is dead.

While the yeast is doing its thing, pour half the flour–about 1and 1/2 cups–into your largest bowl. Add the salt, remaining sugar, if using, and the vegetable oil.

Now pour the yeasty water into the bowl. Add the remaining flour. Stir with a wooden spoon or knead with one hand (my preference) until a shaggy dough forms.

Tip the entire mess onto a clean countertop and knead until the dough comes together. You may need to add more flour. I always need to add quite a bit–it’s very damp in my corner of the Bay Area.

Once you have a smooth dough that isn’t sticking to your hands or the counter, lightly oil a large bowl-4 quarts/liters, put the dough in it, cover it, and leave it to rise in a warm spot. You want the dough to  double in size. Unless your kitchen is an icebox, this should take about an hour.

If you want onion bagels, now is the time to slice and gently fry an onion. Don’t get it get too dark, lest it burn while baking.

While the dough rises, get ready to shape and boil the bagels:

Lightly oil two large baking trays.

Fill a large saucepan with about four quarts/liters of water. Have the malt syrup to hand.

Once the bagels come out of the boiling water, they’ll need to dry briefly. I find placing a cooling rack over a large piece of baking paper-either wax or parchment–saves cleanup. And the paper recycles. Place these near your pot of soon-to-be-boiling water.

Just before you reach the hour dough-rising point, turn your oven to 450F/230C.

Punch down the dough and knead it a few seconds. Place it on the counter and portion it using a sharp knife or dough scraper. If you want smaller bagels, portion the dough into 16 pieces. If you want larger bagels, go for 11-13 pieces. (See post for an in-depth discussing of portioning and shaping bagels.)

Turn the heat on under the pot. When the water boils, turn it down. You want it just under boiling. Add the malt syrup,

Now roll your dough into balls and poke a hole in the middle of each piece. Pull apart gently to widen the hole.

Set each bagel on an oiled tray while you form the others, allowing ample space between each one, as they will continue to rise. If you notice the holes closing up, simply widen them with your fingers.

Using a slotted spatula, spider, or a Chinese-style strainer with a bamboo handle (ideal here), carefully lower two or three bagels into the hot water. I do two at a time. I find they rise to the surface immediately, so I hold them under the water with the strainer bowl for about 30 seconds, flip them, repeat, and remove them to the cooling rack.

If you are adding onions or any kind of seeds, now is the time: either sprinkle them over the bagels or roll them in whatever it is very gently.

Lavishly butter, oil, or spray two baking trays. I do not have silicon baking mats, so cannot advise on whether they would work here. Channel your inner Julia.

Using your fingers or a spatula, gently move the bagels from their cooling rack to the baking trays. I always need two baking trays.

It’s fine to bake the bagels using two trays at a time, using the upper and middle racks of the oven.

Baking takes 20-25 minutes; if you prefer a lighter bagel, turn them at the ten minute mark, as the underside tends to get very brown. I like a darker bake, so leave them.

Bagels are done when lightly browned on top; they will look and smell done. Remove from oven and  place on cooling rack. If they stick to the baking sheet, allow to cool and they’ll come off.

Eat with cream cheese and smoked salmon. (Do you have to ask?)

If you have a trust fund, smoked sable (the fish, not the fur) is magnificent. Please invite me.

These bagels are good keepers in the refrigerator up to three days, after that, freeze them up the three months.

Notes:

If you are cooking in Europe, bread flour is strong flour; I mistakenly used all-purpose flour the first few times I baked these, and they turned out fine, so if you don’t have bread flour in the house, don’t feel you must run out and buy a bag.

Nathan’s recipe calls for regular yeast; Roden’s calls for fast-acting. Both require rising times of at least an hour. I used regular yeast.

Nathan’s recipe uses two tablespoons of sugar: one teaspoon feeds the yeast, the rest is mixed into the dough. I prefer less sugar.  Suit your taste.

I used canola oil. Any flavorless oil will work.

Malt syrup is sold in the baking aisle of larger supermarkets. If you are unable to find it, honey, molasses, or Lyle’s Golden Syrup make good substitutes. Plain boiling water will also do, but the bagels won’t have a nice shiny crust.

After shaping the bagels, Nathan adds cornmeal to the oiled baking sheet. It’s a nice addition.