100% Whole Wheat Bagels
Adapted from Bread Baker's Apprentice
Makes 14 bagels
Pre-ferment:
1 teaspoon SAF instant yeast
4 cups Prairie Gold hard white wheat flour, freshly ground, room temperature
3 cups water, room temperature
Dough:
1/2 teaspoon SAF yeast
3 3/4 cups Prairie Gold flour
2 3/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon Eden organic barley malt syrup
1 - 2 tablespoons Agave nectar (or honey, optional)
1 tablespoon vital gluten
Finishing touches:
1 tablespoon baking soda for the water
1 teaspoon barley malt syrup for the water
Toppings for the bagels such as seeds, salt, onion, or garlic
THE DAY BEFORE:
Place the water into the Bosch. Add the flour and make a well in the
middle. Add the yeast and stir to mix. Let stir on low speed until
smooth. Cover with lid and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours.
It should be risen and bubbly.
At the end of 2 hours, remove the lid and add the 1/2 teaspoon SAF
yeast into the sponge. Add the remaining ingredients (malt syrup,
Agave, salt) and mix well. Add as much flour as possible to get a
very stiff, but pliable dough.
Knead on Speed 2 for 6 minutes. BE CAREFUL! This is a stiff dough and
will toss your Bosch around. Stand close by with your hand on the lid
while kneading.
Remove the dough onto a dry counter (you may need to wet your hands
slightly). Divide the dough into pieces that weigh 4 1/2 ounces each.
Roll each into a round ball and cover with a damp cloth. Let them
rest for 20 minutes.
Now comes the shaping. You can roll each ball into a rope and pinch
off the ends making a bagel-shape, or what I do is poke my fingers
through the middle of the dough ball and work my fingers around the
inside to shape the bagel evenly.
Place the shaped bagels 2 inches apart on a baking sheet covered with
a piece of unbleached parchment paper that has been lightly spritzed
or spread with olive oil and lecithin. You'll need 2 baking sheets.
Cover all the shaped bagels with damp cloths. Let rest for 25 minutes
at room temperature. Then put the covered baking sheets into the
refrigerator overnight.
THE NEXT DAY:
Place your 2 oven racks in the lower middle of the oven. Preheat the
oven to 500 F. If you are using a stone, make sure the stone is in
the oven for the preheating.
Fill a large wide stockpot with water. Add 1 tablespoon baking soda
and 1 teaspoon malt syrup to the water. Cover and bring to a boil.
BOILING BAGELS:
When the water comes to a full boil, gently drop 2-3 bagels ONE AT A
TIME into the water. They will sink and then float. Let them boil for
2 minutes. With a large slotted spoon, turn the bagels over to boil
on the other side for 2 minutes. If you like them less chewy, boil
only 1 minute per side.
Remove each bagel (tapping the slotted spoon to remove any excess
water) and place them back on the same greased parchment paper. They
will have almost doubled in size, so you may need an extra baking
sheet and parchment paper with oil and lecithin.
If you wish to top your bagels, do so when they are right out of the
boiling pot. You won't need anything to make the toppings stick.
Sprinkle on your toppings (do not overdo it!).
When all your bagels have been boiled and topped, place 2 baking
sheets into the oven, one on each shelf and bake for 5 minutes.
Rotate the sheets to the opposite racks and turn the pans 180 degrees
and bake another 5-6 minutes, or until golden brown. *If you only
have one rack or one pan, still turn the baking sheet 180 F after the
first 5 minutes of baking.
Remove the baking sheets from the oven. Transfer the baked bagels to
cooling racks and let sit (UNDISTURBED) for 15 minutes. Then, cut and
eat! (We like to toast ours first, but they are great "as is".)
Enjoy!!
~~~In Messiah,
Vickilynn
Micah 6:8