Bagels

By chelyc13

These bagels are lighter than typical American style bagels because we let them rest briefly while the oven is heating up, rather than boiling them immediately after shaping. They can be made the traditional way (forming and immediately boiling) for a denser result. This dough stores as well as any of our other recipes and can be used for soft pretzels, bialys, or even free form loaves.

Ingredients

• The Dough:
• 3 cups lukewarm water
• 1 1/2 tblsp granulated yeast
• 1 1/2 tblsp salt
• 1 1/2 tblsp sugar
• 6 1/4 cups bread flour
• The Boiling Pot:
• 8 quarts boiling water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teas baking soda
• toppings
• extra flour for dusting towel
• whole wheat flour for pizza peel

Details

Servings 20

Preparation

Step 1

1. Mixing and storing the bagel dough: mix the yeast, salt, and sugar with the water in a 5 quart bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container.

2. Mix in the flour without kneading, using a spoon, a 14 cup capacity food processor (with dough attachment), or a heavy duty stand mixer ( with dough hook). If you're not using a machine, you may need to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.

3. Cover (not airtight), and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses ( or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.

4. The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it is easier to handle with cold. Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 14 days.

Forming, Boiling, and Baking the Bagels:

5. Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 400, with a baking stone placed near the middle. Place an empty broiler tray on any other shelf that won't interfere with the rising bagels.

6. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 3 ounce piece of dough ( about the size of a small peach). Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter turn as you go.

7. Repeat to form the rest of the bagels. Cover the balls loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.

8. Prepare the boiling pot: Bring a large saucepan or stockpot full of water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add the sugar and baking soda.

9. Punch your thumb through the dough to form the hole. Ease it open with your fingers until the hole's diameter is about triple the width of the bagel wall.

10. Drop the bagels into the simmering water one at a time, making sure theya re not crowding one another. They need enough room to float without touching or they will be misshapen. Let them simmer for 2 minutes and then flip them over with a slotted spoon to cook the other side. Simmer for another minute.

11. Remove them from the water, using the slotted spoon, and place on a clean kitchen towel that has been lightly dusted with flour. This will absorb some of the excess water form the bagels. Then place them on a peel covered with whole wheat flour. Sprinkle the bagels with your topping.

12. Slide the bagles directly onto the hot stone. Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray, and quickly close the oven door. Bake with steam for about 20 minutes until deeply browned and firm.

13. Break the usual rule for cooling and serve these a bit warm.