For Adam and anyone who wants to try great bagels from Montreal.....This
recipe is from my first cookbook _A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking_ (now
in paperback from Doubleday 2004) and also at my website,
<http://www.betterbaking.com/>. Montreal bagels are smaller, sweeter
(usually NO salt at all) and use a bit of malt in the dough and honey in
the kettle water. I cannot tell you how many years, and batches I watched
being made at St. Viateur Bagels.......sleuthing out the recipe and
distilling it down into a tiny home recipe for myself and countless other
bagels fans. (I also have a new york bagel in my cookbook.)
Enjoy, marcy goldman
MONTREAL BAGELS
You can wait to visit Montreal or depend on Canadian relatives to ship down
bagels (not recommended) or try these absolutely authentic,
good-enough-to-open-a-Montreal-bagel-franchise with bagel recipe. Although
real Montreal bagels do not have any salt (or so they claim - I sometimes
taste some - depending on the bakery), this recipe has a modest amount -
and it serves to regulate the fermentation and exemplify the simple taste
of this wonderful ring-shaped bread. I have spent years perfecting this
recipe, visiting and watching bagel makers at work - assessing techniques
and the ingredients used - in many a famous Montreal bagel landmark, such
as The Bagel Factory on St. Viateur, The Fairmont Bagel Factory, as well as
The Bagel Place, and R.E.A.L. Bagel. I love their bagels too and buy
dozens, but still, always enjoy the challenge and satisfaction of making my
own as well. After a bagel shop visit, I usually run home and re-test yet
another batch. When it comes to bagels, I am always learning something. It
is one of my favorite, "work-in-progress" recipes. This is my most
definitive effort so far. For really authentic bagels, you should try fresh
yeast, but dry will still give you outstanding results.
1 3/4 cups water
2 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast (or 1/2 ounce fresh yeast)
pinch sugar
3 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons beaten egg
1 tablespoon malt powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, optional
5 tablespoons sugar
4 1/2 - 5 cups bread flour
KETTLE WATER
6 quarts water
1/3 cup honey
GARNISH
1 1/2 cups sesame seed or poppy seeds (or half and half)
Stir together the water, yeast, and pinch of sugar. Let stand a couple of
minutes, allowing yeast to swell or dissolve. Whisk in sugar, beaten egg,
vegetable oil, malt and fold in most of the flour. (If using fresh yeast,
crumble fresh yeast into warm water along with a pinch of sugar. Let stand
a couple of minutes and continue - adding other ingredients as you would
for dry yeast method).
Knead 10-12 minutes to form a stiff, smooth dough, adding additional flour
as required. Cover with a tea towel or inverted bowl and let rest ten minutes.
Line one large baking sheets with a kitchen towel, the other with baking
parchment.
Fill a large soup pot or Dutch oven three quarters full with water. Add
honey and salt. Bring water to a boil. Meanwhile, divide in 12 sections and
form into 10 inch strips. Form these into bagel rings and place on cookie
sheet. Let rise 12-16 minutes until bagels are very slightly puffed up.
Preheat oven to 450 F.
Boil bagels about 1 1/2 minutes each, turning over once. Place on towel
lined sheet first to dry out. Then sprinkle very generously with sesame or
poppy seeds - Montreal Bagels are more seeded than regular bagels - and
place on parchment lined sheet.
Place in oven, reduce heat to 425 F. Bake until done, about 15-22 minutes,
turning bagels over once when they are just about done.
12 Bagels