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The Way They Were

Reggie Dwork <reggie@jeff-and-reggie.com>
Sat, 24 Nov 2001 14:05:06 -0800
v101.n055.7
Rose Beranbaum has kindly given us permission to post this story and 
recipes for bagels and rye bread. She sent some updates which are 
interpolated into the text.

Rose will be signing books at the Williams Sonoma store in Manhattan, 121 E 
59th St on Saturday, December 8, from 1 to 3 pm. Also, she is working on a 
new book, "Rose's Bread Bible", with publication anticipated in 2003, and 
has a new website, http://www.thecakebible.com

Reggie & Jeff

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.

[[UPDATE: my father said the peels are not used to put the bagels IN the 
oven. A plain piece of wood is used to set the boiled bagels on and placed 
in the oven to set. Then a piece of string is run underneath to release 
them and the board is inverted so that the bagels are directly on the deck 
of the oven. The peels are used to move the bagels around in the oven for 
even cooking and then to remove them.]]

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

(Makes ten 4-inch 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.

These bagels are adapted from a recipe by Lauren Groveman in "Baking With 
Julia" (William Morrow, 1996).

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 F)
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 F.) 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.)

[[UPDATE: My father said that when shaped the way they did in the bakery 
they developed more chew so I tried it and he was right. Pretty good memory 
considering it's been over 50 years and he's now 87! I now shape them by 
rolling each piece into a rope, overlapping the ends by about 2-inches and 
then rolling on the overlap to make it adhere and be the same thickness as 
the rest.

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

Levy's Real Jewish Rye Bread

This makes 1 very large loaf or 2 smaller ones.

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 F)
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 F.) 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.

[[UPDATE: I no longer use the deli rye flavor. It suddenly seemed 
artificial and unncessary to me!

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

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 F 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).

(c) 2000 The Washington Post Company