I've finally been able to produce bagels that are like the ones at the bagel
bakery: chewy on the outside, soft on the inside. After much trial and
error, here's some hints I've found for making a better bagel:
1. Most directions suggest rolling out a rope of dough then forming the
bagels by pinching together the ends. I've found they hold their shape much
better by rolling the dough out and cutting with a doughnut cutter. You can
re-roll the "holes" or boil and bake the holes along with the bagels (my
2-yr-old thinks the holes are great).
2. This is probably the BEST HINT I've picked up: After you've shaped the
bagels, place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet and freeze. When frozen,
store in zip-lock bags until ready to boil and bake. Even though they'll
look small and puny, they will puff up and rise when you bake them - I
promise!
To boil and bake: Bring a large kettle of water to boiling; add 1 tsp. salt
(I use kosher) and 2 Tbsp. malt syrup or powder (you can find at health-food
stores or through King Arthur). Slip several frozen bagels into the pot -
the water should be at a healthy simmer. Cook 2 minutes on one side; then
turn over with slotted spoon and cook for 2 minutes longer. Drain boiled
bagels on clean dish towel and immediately sprinkle with any desired topping.
It's great to freeze the bagels ahead of time, 'cause you can bake just as
many as you need. While it's not an "instant" breakfast, with this method I
can have fresh, hot bagels on the table within an hour. I use a recipe from
Eating Well magazine (March/Apr 1996) for Water Bagels, but any bagel recipe
will work. Even though I have a bread machine, I usually mix up a bigger
batch of dough with my Kitchenaid mixer to save time and effort.
3. To bake bagels: Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
A. (Good) Bake on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, sprinkled with a
little cornmeal. Reduce oven to 425 degrees and bake for 15 minutes. Turn
over and bake for about 5 more minutes or until golden brown. OR:
B. (Better) Place prepared baking sheet(s) - see above - on preheated baking
stone. For the last 5 minutes of baking, turn the bagels over and bake on
the bare stone.
Good luck with your bagel baking!
Cindi in KC