Hello Bakers!
Of any bread we can bake from scratch - bagels are maybe one of the worthwhile. The flavor is so good and makes supermarket bagels taste just like cotton balls. Once you have baked a batch or two under your belt - you’ll be making bagels all the time. And friends and family will rave! Trust me.
Happy Baking! Colette
Equipment: Stand mixer with paddle attachment, Scale, 1/2 sheet pan lined with very lightly oiled parchment paper or a silpat (no oil necessary on a silpat), dough scraper, lightly oiled bowl for bulk fermentation, plastic wrap, brush for egg wash. Spider or strainer for boiling bagels.
Egg bagel MEP
Ingredients:
240g Water (70 degrees)
6g instant yeast
14g vegetable oil
2 large egg yolks (36g)
454g Bread flour
14g sugar
8g salt
pinch (1/8 teaspoon) turmeric for color - optional
Egg Wash: I egg beaten with a pinch of salt - mix until smooth and thoroughly mixed
Later…for boiling bagels
4 qts of water
50g Honey
1. In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook combine water, yeast and let sit for 5 minutes.
2. Add oil, egg yolk, flour, sugar, salt and optional pinch of turmeric.
3. Mix on speed 2 for 5 minutes and then speed 1 for 4 minutes, The dough will be well developed.
It's important for bagel dough to have strong gluten development.
4. Place dough in the lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and bulk ferment for 1 hour until just about doubled in size.
Bagel dough proofing at 80 degrees for 1 hour - this Brod and Taylor proofer is a great investment if you make yeasted doughs often - the bagel dough will also proof very well , covered at room temperature.
Bagel dough after bulk fermentation
5. After an hour, gently degas the dough and with a bench scraper - divide into 6 portions - each will weight about 120g.
6. Round each into a tight ball or a strand, depending on how you want to shape them, and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit no more then 7 minutes - the gluten needs to be a little relaxed but we don’t want the yeast to become active and make the dough gassy.
Bagel dough pre shaped and ready for shaping
7. Here is the shaping video:
Shaping video - 2 methods - try both and choose your favorite.
After the bagels are shaped, place on prepared half sheet pan. Cover and proof for a 15 minutes - set a timer.
8. Place tray in refrigerator and chill for 2-4 hours.
9. After 2-4 hours of fermentation - set up a pot for boiling bagels.
10. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Boiling and Egg Wash Video
11. Boil the bagels 3 at a time for 30 seconds on each side.
12. Remover from the pot with a strainer or spider and return to sheet pan.
11. Egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds, poppy seeds or everything bagel mix.
12. Bake for 22 minutes. The bagels should be a rich golden brown.
Leftover bagels can be frozen for up to one month. Thaw for a few hours, toast and serve.