Bread-Bakers v111.n011.3

Peter Reinhart's "The Bread Baker's Apprentice" has great technique described.

FYI,

* what's "overly" chewy? Real bagels are darn chewy.
* bagels are typically made out of very high protein flour--14% or 
so. At the very least use bread flour, not AP (as the referenced recipe does)
* for the great taste, bagels are typically rested after forming (but 
before poaching) overnight in fridge
* the dough is usually very dry (50-55% hydration)
* the poaching liquid is usually made alkaline by adding baking soda 
or baked baking soda--this gives the correct exterior
* Barley malt is often added to the poaching water--also helps with 
exterior of bagel
* they only need to be poached 30-60 seconds per side
* I bake at 450F, not 375 as in referenced recipe

Allen

>--------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v111.n010.1 ---------------
>
>From: Adam Fields <breadbakers23455@aquick.org>
>Subject: Homemade bagel questions
>Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2011 09:42:53 -0500
>
>
>I tried out this bagel recipe:
>
>http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Boiled-Bagels/Detail.aspx
>
>While the results were tasty, they were overly chewy right out of the oven,
>and then after a day or so settled into a texture that was more like a
>traditional bialy than a real bagel. What factors go into determining fluffy
>vs. chewy? Should I have boiled them for more or less time, did I overknead
>them, or not let them rise enough? They are a bit on the flat side, though
>the dough had a nice rise to it before I shaped them. I can't seem to find
>any reference about technique, just more recipes.