The Way They Were
By Rose Levy Beranbaum
Special to The Washington Post
Wednesday, November 8, 2000
My first bread memory and my first teething ring are one and the same: the
beloved bagel. My mother, who was a dentist, considered it the ideal
natural teething ring because of its firm yet forgiving texture. But it was
my father who brought home the bagels on a string every Friday afternoon
after he made his weekly delivery of peels. A peel is a flat wooden tray
with a long handle, designed for transferring bread to the oven. Peels for
bagels are only slightly wider than the bagel itself. The bagels, after
being boiled in salted water, are lined up on this piece of wood, that has
been lightly sprinkled with cornmeal, and thrust from it directly onto the
hot oven shelf.
In the 1940s after the war and the early 1950s, when times were hard, my
father, Robert Levy, a skilled cabinet-maker, turned to bagel peel
production and laid claim to the exclusive bagel peel business in the
greater New York area, which included the five boroughs and all of New
Jersey. This did not make us rich, but we had all the bagels we could eat.
Nowadays, bagel appreciation has permeated the world, but they are not the
bagels of my childhood. Those were dense and chewy, plain golden brown--no
poppy seeds, onion or "everything" and certainly no boutique blueberry
bagels with the texture of cake. (The first time I heard about those I felt
as if the world as I knew it was coming to an end.) My bagels were served
cut in half vertically so that to my childish imagination they delightfully
resembled telephone receivers, and each cut half was spread with a big lump
of sweet butter. As I bit off each piece, a new lump of butter would be
applied by my attentive grandmother.
When I got older, I ate bagels the way the grown-ups did, cutting them in
half horizontally, digging out the soft centers and toasting them before
filling the cavities thus created with butter.
I haven't had a bagel that has pleased me as much in all these years: The
texture of bagels has become ever more compromised in the direction of an
airy bread. I was afraid to make them myself because I somehow believed a
homemade bagel could never come close to my memory. Happily, I was proven
wrong by following the directions of a great baker, Lauren Groveman. Not
only did the bagels match my memory, they exceeded it.
The other bread dear to my memory is Jewish rye. Since Levy's was the most
popular brand and that was our family name, I always felt a special
connection to it though the bread we ate was a less commercial variety
produced by a small bakery in the Bronx. Both my parents were born and
raised there, but when I was growing up, we lived in Manhattan. Whenever my
father had an excuse to return to the Bronx, he never came home without a
freshly baked loaf from his favorite bakery. Sometimes it was dense, moist
corn bread, other times coarse pumpernickel, neither of which interested
me. My choice was the rye bread, studded with constellations of caraway
seeds. (I always complained when he brought home the seedless variety,
which he would only do when they sold out of the caraway one.)
My grandmother, who lived with us, would serve it to me spread
thickly with unsalted butter, the top paved with rounds of sliced red
radishes, lightly sprinkled with kosher salt, crushed fine between her
thumb and index finger. To this day it is my favorite way to eat rye bread,
except that I now use fleur du sel instead of kosher salt.
It has taken me years to get my rye bread to taste and feel just right. I
like a wheaty flavor with not so much rye that it becomes bitter and a
chewy texture that is not so dense it becomes pasty. I love using La
Cloche, a large, unglazed, earthenware platter with a dome-shaped top,
in which to bake the bread. During baking, the bread rises to fill the
dome, which gives it a lovely shape, moist texture and very crunchy crust.
The bread is still delicious and beautiful when made free-form or in two
half-size loaves.
I prefer making both the bagels and rye bread entirely by hand because half
the pleasure lies in the feel of kneading the dough. But the quality will
be equal if either is made with a heavy-duty electric mixer.
My husband enjoys the extra caraway-sour flavor provided by the small
amount of rye flavor, which reminds him of the Jewish deli rye. Either way,
this is a very satisfying bread.
If you believe in the value of anticipation, there is only one thing that
possibly is better than eating either of these delicious breads: Smelling
them as they are baking. Eating them still warm from the oven is another
decided advantage to making them yourself.
Bagels
My secret for the beautiful golden color on the outside of bagels is to add
some baking soda to the water in which they boil. If you've never made
bagels, be prepared to spend some time shaping the dough, or just prepare
your family for the fact that these bagels will taste great even
if they're not perfectly formed on your first attempt.
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (not rapid-rise) or 0.6-ounce package
(about 2 1/2 teaspoons) fresh yeast
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 1/4 cups warm water (about 100 degrees)
3 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening, such as Crisco
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
About 6 cups high-gluten bread flour or regular bread flour, plus
additional for the work surface
1 tablespoon salt
About 4 teaspoons oil or melted unsalted butter
Nonstick vegetable spray
Cornmeal
Optional toppings: Poppy, sesame or caraway seeds; kosher or sea salt;
minced onions sauteed in vegetable oil; dried garlic chips
For boiling:
1/4 cup granulated sugar or 2 tablespoons barley malt*
1 teaspoon baking soda
For glazing:
2 large egg whites 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon cold water
Place the yeast in a large bowl and add 1/2 teaspoon of the sugar and 1/4
cup of the water. (If using active dry yeast, increase the temperature of
the water to 110 degrees.) Stir until the yeast is dissolved. Set aside in
a draft-free place until it is covered with bubbles, 10 to 20 minutes. (If
there are no bubbles, the yeast is too old to be useful.) Add the remaining
sugar and water and the shortening and pepper and mix gently.
Using a wooden spoon, add the flour 1 cup at a time to the yeast mixture
and mix until you have added a total of 3 cups flour. Sprinkle the mixture
with the salt and stir to combine. Continue to add the flour, 1 cup at a
time, until you have added a total of 5 cups flour and a soft, sticky dough
forms. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough, adding as much of the
remaining 1 cup flour as necessary to keep it from sticking to the surface,
until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. If you prefer a
heavier, chewier bagel, add a little extra flour.
Coat the inside of a 4-quart container with half of the oil or butter.
Press the dough into the container and coat the top of the dough with the
remaining oil or butter. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp towel
and set aside to rise until doubled in bulk, 1 to 2 hours (the dough will
rise more slowly in a cold room). Using your fist, punch the dough to
deflate it, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (may refrigerate for
up to 2 days).
At least 30 minutes before baking, adjust the oven racks to the lowest and
second lowest positions. Place a heavy skillet or roasting pan on the
lowest rack. Preheat the oven to 500 F. Lightly coat two baking sheets with
the oil spray and dust them with cornmeal and, if desired, some of 1 or
more of the optional toppings.
Place 2 clean towels and a lightly floured towel on a counter near the
stove. Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil. Stir in the sugar or
barley malt and baking soda.
Using your fist, punch the dough to deflate it and transfer it to a lightly
floured surface. Divide the dough in half; wrap 1 piece in plastic wrap and
refrigerate it until you have finished with the first batch. Divide the
other piece of dough into 5 pieces. As you work with 1 piece of dough, keep
the remaining dough covered with a towel. Draw the sides of 1 piece of
dough up, pinching the ends together at the top, to form a round
ball. Turn the ball so the pinched seam is on the bottom. Stick your index
finger into the center of the ball, all the way through to the bottom, to
make a hole. Hook the hole onto the thumb of one hand and insert the index
finger of your other hand into the hole and rotate and stretch the dough to
form a hole about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. (The bagel should resemble a
ring; it will puff up after boiling to resemble a typical bagel.) Place the
bagel on the floured towel and cover it with a second towel. Repeat with
the remaining 4 pieces of dough. (You should boil and bake these 5 bagels
before shaping the remaining 5.)
Using a skimmer, transfer the bagels, 1 at a time, to the boiling water,
working in batches of 2 or 3 at a time so that the bagels can swim around
without touching each other. The bagels may sink at first but should rise
to the surface. Boil for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side, gently flipping them
once with the skimmer. Using the skimmer, remove the bagels from the pot,
shaking off excess water over the stockpot, and transfer the bagel to the
second unfloured towel for 30 to 60 seconds. Using a spatula, transfer the
cooled bagels to the prepared baking sheet after no more than 60 seconds so
that they don't stick to the towel.
To glaze the bagels, in a small bowl, whisk together the egg whites and 1
teaspoon of the cold water until combined but not frothy. Strain the
mixture, discarding the solids. Lightly brush the top of each bagel with
the glaze; be careful not to let the glaze drip onto the baking sheet as it
will glue the bagels to the surface. Lightly brush the top of each bagel
with a second coat of glaze and, if desired, sprinkle with some of 1 or
more of the optional toppings.
To bake the bagels, place 4 ice cubes in a bowl and add the remaining 1/4
cup of cold water. Pour the ice mixture into the roasting pan or skillet on
the lowest oven rack and immediately place the sheet of bagels on the upper
oven rack and quickly close the oven door to capture the steam produced by
the ice. Immediately reduce the temperature to 450 degrees and bake the
bagels for 25 minutes. Turn off the oven without opening the door and let
the bagels sit for 5 minutes. Open the oven door and leave the bagels in
the oven for 5 more minutes. Transfer the bagels to a wire rack and set
aside to cool.
Repeat the shaping, boiling, glazing and baking with the remaining dough.
The bagels keep well for 1 day at room temperature in a brown paper bag.
(May wrap in airtight plastic freezer bags and freeze for up to 1 month;
thaw at room temperature.)Using a wooden spoon, add the flour 1 cup at a
time to the yeast mixture and mix until you have added a total of 3 cups
flour. Sprinkle the mixture with the salt and stir to combine. Continue to
add the flour, 1 cup at a time, until you have added a total of 5 cups
flour and a soft, sticky dough forms. On a lightly floured surface, knead
the dough, adding as much of the remaining 1 cup flour as necessary to keep
it from sticking to the surface, until the dough is smooth and elastic,
about 5 minutes. If you prefer a heavier, chewier bagel, add a little extra
flour.
Coat the inside of a 4-quart container with half of the oil or butter.
Press the dough into the container and coat the top of the dough with the
remaining oil or butter. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp towel
and set aside to rise until doubled in bulk, 1 to 2 hours (the dough will
rise more slowly in a cold room). Using your fist, punch the dough to
deflate it, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (may refrigerate for
up to 2 days).
At least 30 minutes before baking, adjust the oven racks to the lowest and
second lowest positions. Place a heavy skillet or roasting pan on the
lowest rack. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Lightly coat two baking
sheets with the oil spray and dust them with cornmeal and, if desired, some
of 1 or more of the optional toppings.
Place 2 clean towels and a lightly floured towel on a counter near the
stove. Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil. Stir in the sugar or
barley malt and baking soda.
Using your fist, punch the dough to deflate it and transfer it to a lightly
floured surface. Divide the dough in half; wrap 1 piece in plastic wrap and
refrigerate it until you have finished with the first batch. Divide the
other piece of dough into 5 pieces. As you work with 1 piece of dough, keep
the remaining dough covered with a towel. Draw the sides of 1 piece of
dough up, pinching the ends together at the top, to form a round
ball. Turn the ball so the pinched seam is on the bottom. Stick your index
finger into the center of the ball, all the way through to the bottom, to
make a hole. Hook the hole onto the thumb of one hand and insert the index
finger of your other hand into the hole and rotate and stretch the dough to
form a hole about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. (The bagel should resemble a
ring; it will puff up after boiling to resemble a typical bagel.) Place the
bagel on the floured towel and cover it with a second towel. Repeat with
the remaining 4 pieces of dough. (You should boil and bake these 5 bagels
before shaping the remaining 5.)
Using a skimmer, transfer the bagels, 1 at a time, to the boiling water,
working in batches of 2 or 3 at a time so that the bagels can swim around
without touching each other. The bagels may sink at first but should rise
to the surface. Boil for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side, gently flipping them
once with the skimmer. Using the skimmer, remove the bagels from the pot,
shaking off excess water over the stockpot, and transfer the bagel to the
second unfloured towel for 30 to 60 seconds. Using a spatula, transfer the
cooled bagels to the prepared baking sheet after no more than 60 seconds so
that they don't stick to the towel.
To glaze the bagels, in a small bowl, whisk together the egg whites and 1
teaspoon of the cold water until combined but not frothy. Strain the
mixture, discarding the solids. Lightly brush the top of each bagel with
the glaze; be careful not to let the glaze drip onto the baking sheet as it
will glue the bagels to the surface. Lightly brush the top of each bagel
with a second coat of glaze and, if desired, sprinkle with some of 1 or
more of the optional toppings.
To bake the bagels, place 4 ice cubes in a bowl and add the remaining 1/4
cup of cold water. Pour the ice mixture into the roasting pan or skillet on
the lowest oven rack and immediately place the sheet of bagels on the upper
oven rack and quickly close the oven door to capture the steam produced by
the ice. Immediately reduce the temperature to 450 degrees and bake the
bagels for 25 minutes. Turn off the oven without opening the door and let
the bagels sit for 5 minutes. Open the oven door and leave the bagels in
the oven for 5 more minutes. Transfer the bagels to a wire rack and set
aside to cool.
Repeat the shaping, boiling, glazing and baking with the remaining dough.
The bagels keep well for 1 day at room temperature in a brown paper bag.
(May wrap in airtight plastic freezer bags and freeze for up to 1 month;
thaw at room temperature.)
* Note: Barley malt, also known as diastatic malt powder, is available
locally at many grocery stores and by mail order from King Arthur's Flour
(call 800-827-6836 or see www.kingarthurflour.com).
Per bagel: 376 calories, 11 gm protein, 67 gm carbohydrates, 7 gm fat, 4 mg
cholesterol, 2 gm saturated fat, 824 mg sodium, 2 gm dietary fiber
Yield: Makes ten 4-inch bagels
Source: These bagels are adapted from a recipe by Lauren Groveman in
"Baking With Julia" (William Morrow, 1996).
Levy's Real Jewish Rye Bread
Using fresh yeast will cause the bread to rise more quickly. Preheating the
baking sheet makes the bread begin to rise immediately upon contact; this
results in the bread holding its shape and attaining the highest rise.
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (not rapid-rise) or 1 tablespoon fresh yeast
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 cups warm water (about 100 degrees)
6 cups bread flour, plus additional for the work surface
1 tablespoon barley malt or diastatic malt powder (optional)*
2 teaspoons deli rye flavor (optional)
Generous 1/4 teaspoon citric acid (optional)
2 cups rye flour
1/4 cup caraway seeds
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus additional for the bowl
About 2 teaspoons cornmeal
Place the yeast in a small bowl and add 1/2 teaspoon of the sugar and 1/4
cup of the water. (If using active dry yeast, increase the temperature
of the water to 110 degrees.) Stir until the yeast is dissolved. Set aside
in a draft-free place until covered with bubbles, 10 to 20 minutes. (If
there are no bubbles, the yeast is too old to be useful.)
In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture, 3 cups of the bread flour, 2
tablespoons of the remaining sugar, the remaining 2 3/4 cups water and the
optional malt, deli rye flavor and citric acid, if using. Whisk until very
smooth, about 100 strokes; set aside.
In a very large bowl, whisk together the remaining 3 cups of the bread
flour, the rye flour, the remaining 2 1/2 teaspoons sugar, the caraway
seeds and salt. Gently scoop the flour mixture onto the reserved yeast
mixture to form a blanket. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room
temperature until the dough has risen considerably, 4 to 5 hours (may
refrigerate for as long as overnight).
Add the oil to the dough and, using a wooden spoon, mix to combine, adding
flour or water as needed to form a soft dough. On a lightly floured
surface, knead the dough, adding flour as necessary to keep it from
sticking to the surface, until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
The dough should jump back when pressed with a fingertip. Form the dough
into a ball. Lightly oil a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl, turn to
coat with the oil, cover tightly with plastic wrap or a damp towel and set
aside to rise until doubled in bulk, 1 to 2 hours (the dough will rise more
slowly in a cold room).
Using your fist, punch the dough to deflate it. On a lightly floured
surface, knead the dough briefly. Form the dough into a ball, return it to
the bowl, cover and set aside to rise a third time for 45 minutes.
Sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal.
To shape the dough, roll it into an 8-inch ball or 2 smaller balls and
place the dough on the cornmeal-sprinkled baking sheet. Cover with a
large inverted bowl or plastic wrap that has been oiled. Set aside to rise
until doubled in bulk, 60 to 75 minutes.
A little more than halfway through the final rising, adjust the oven rack
to the lowest position. Place a second baking sheet on the rack. Preheat
the oven to 450 F.
When the dough has risen, using a sharp knife, slash the top of the loaf
twice in 1 direction about 6 inches apart, then slice again with 2 slashes
perpendicular to the first set.
Carefully slide the dough directly onto the preheated baking sheet and bake
the bread for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 400 F and continue to
bake for 50 to 65 minutes (34 to 40 minutes for the 2 small breads), until
the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when lightly tapped.
Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool slightly. Baked bread
stays warm for 2 hours after baking.
* Note: Barley malt, also known as diastatic malt powder, is available
locally at many grocery stores or by mail order from King Arthur's Flour
(call 800-827-6836 or see www.kingarthurflour.com). Deli rye flavor and
citric acid (or "sour salt") is also available from King Arthur's
Flour. Citric acid is available at some grocery stores.
Per serving (based on 18): 223 calories, 7 gm protein, 45 gm carbohydrates,
2 gm fat, 0 mg cholesterol, trace saturated fat, 389 mg sodium, 3 gm
dietary fiber
Yield: (Makes 1 loaf) This makes 1 very large loaf or 2 smaller ones.
HELPFUL TIPS ON BAKING BREAD
The greatest problem people have with bread baking is the yeast. If the
liquid added to the yeast is too hot or too cold, it will kill it.
With the advent of SAF--instant yeast--this problem is eliminated because
there is no need to proof it. The yeast is added to the flour with room
temperature water and does not need to be dissolved first in liquid. It is
available at specialty stores and by mail order from King Arthur (call
800-827-6836 or see www.kingarthurflour.com).
It is also reassuring to know that if time does not allow you to complete
the bread dough risings as specified, it's fine to deflate the dough, place
it in a bowl and cover it (or wrap it in plastic wrap or a resealable
plastic bag) and refrigerate it for several hours, overnight or even for as
long as two days before finishing the rising and baking.
Optional ingredients such as barley malt and citric acid result in a
slightly higher rise. They are available locally at some grocery stores or
by mail order from King Arthur Flour (see above).
The recipes here include instructions for baking with baking sheets, but a
good quality baking stone and a peel--a wood paddle used to slide the bread
onto the stone--are also great aids to the home baker.
Store baked bread at room temperature or in the freezer and defrost to room
temperature or reheat it. Do not refrigerate it: The starch in the flour
crystallizes when cold.
A sure way to know what is going on inside the bread and ensure that it is
fully baked is to insert an instant thermometer into the center. It should
read 190 degrees when done.
* High-gluten flour will produce the chewiest bagels, but bread flour will
also make a good product. King Arthur's special bread flour results in a
better rise for the rye bread.
* Store rye flour and caraway seeds in the refrigerator.
* Allow the water used to make bread dough to sit uncovered overnight to
dissipate the chlorine or use bottled water.
Rose Levy Beranbaum's most recent book is The Pie and Pastry Bible
(Scribner, 1998). She wrote for Food in July about blueberry pie.
2000 The Washington Post Company
Source: The Washington Post, November 8, 2000
Joni