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Re: anise seed rolls

Ann Greenberg <greenberg323@yahoo.com>
Mon, 29 Nov 2010 07:07:16 -0800 (PST)
v110.n041.7
Re:  Jeffrey Gerlach's question on boiling the rolls:

I first checked "the bread bible" by Rose Levy Berenbaum (which 
suggests boiling bagels before baking for 30 seconds to 2 minutes per 
side. She explains that longer boiling produces a thicker crust).

I also went online and found an informative site on the topic.

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/food-science/food-science-why-bagels-are-boiled-086711


It feels very counter-intuitive to most of us to throw bread in 
boiling water. The point of most bread baking, after all, is to let 
water evaporate and dry out the interior to a certain extent.

Boiling breads like bagels and pretzels effectively sets the crust 
before it goes in the oven. The water doesn't actually penetrate very 
far into the bread because the starch on the exterior quickly gels 
and forms a barrier. Bagels are typically boiled for 30-60 seconds on 
each side. The longer the boil, the thicker and chewier crust.

In the oven, the fact that the crust is already set means that the 
bagels don't rise nearly as much. This is partly what gives bagels 
their signature dense, chewy interiors. (The other part is using 
high-protein flour.)

Again, how long the bagel was boiled will affect the interior 
texture. A brief boil gives bagels a thin and fairly elastic crust 
that will still allow the bagels rise quite a bit in the oven, 
resulting in a softer texture. A longer boil and a thicker crust 
prevents the bagel from rising very much at all, giving you a very 
dense interior.

Ann Greenberg