Bagels
The best bagel I had was at Russ and Daughters in New York. They are crunchy on the outside but soft and not heavy inside. I tried to make mine as similar as possible. They say you need New York water to get a proper New York Style Bagel but I am not sure about that. The water in Munich is really excellent, I heard.
Bagels are boiled in water before being baked. The longer you boil them, the chewier they will be.
The optional Tbsp of sourdough starter in my recipe will not let your dough rise but make your bagels more digestible and taste better.
for 8 Bagels
ingredients
500g flour (wheat flour 550 / all purpose flour)
290g water
16g fresh yeast (or 8g instant yeast)
1 Tbsp malt sirup (or sugar)
8g salt
optional: 1 Tbsp sourdough starter (adding the sourdough cultures will not let your dough rise in this recipe but make your bagels more digestible and taste better. If you don’t have any, it also works well without it.)
For the cooking water:
1 Tbsp salt
1Tbsp malt sirup
For the egg wash:
1 Egg, 1 Tbsp water
Toppings:
sesame seeds, poppyseeds
or everything topping (white and black sesame seeds, poppyseeds, dried onion flakes, dried garlic flakes, sea salt)
steps
Place the flour in a mixing bowl. Make a little hollow in the middle.
Take 4 Tbsp of water from your 290 ml and dissolve your yeast in it. Place it in the hollow and let it rest for 10 minutes. Then add the remaining water, sourdough starter, sirup or sugar and salt. Kneed well with your machine, for about 10 minutes. You will have a firm dough. Place it in a lightly oiled container, cover it with a kitchen towel and let it rest for about 10 minutes, so the the dough can relax.
Take the dough out of your bowl. You don’t need any flour on your worktop because it is easy to handle. Divide it in 8 equal pieces, then form every piece into a ball, by stretching the ends to the bottom of the dough or rotating it with one hand on your worktop. (same as you make a pizza boule).
Cover with a towel and let it rest for another 5 minutes.
Now it is time to shape your bagels. Roll every ball in a 25 cm long log, then place it over the back of your hand and push the ends together by rolling it on your worktop. You can also just pinch a hole the middle with your thumb or the end of a wooden spoon and widen it up with your fingers.
Place on a floured baking sheet on a tray , cover with foil or a towel and place them in the fridge for 12-24 hours.
Take them out of the fridge, then heat a big pot of water, add the Tbsp salt and malt sirup or sugar.
Place the bagels upside down in the slightly boiling water (my pot fits 4 bagels at a time).
Cook for 1 minute from each side, then take them out with a slotted spoon and place them on a grid.
Mix your egg with 1 Tbsp water.
When all bagels are cooked, brush them with your egg wash and sprinkle with your favourite topping. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 220°C for about 10 Minutes until golden.
When I bake bagels, I like to make a bigger quantity and store them: I bake them just a little less then usual. When cooled, I cut them in half and freeze them, so I can take one or two frozen halves out of my freezer and place them directly in my toaster for a quick but delicious breakfast.
Salmon Caviar, a well cured, thinly sliced Salmon and some horseradish cream are my favourite Toppings
