some more baking projects...

~challah, dill rye, and pizza~

"YUM-YUM-BAGELS"

A few days ago, we made bagels for the second time! The first time we made sourdough, this time they were yeasted bagels. They were a thousand times better this time maybe because we baked them for a longer period of time and we made the dough much better! Last time we also had trouble getting our proofed bagels from the trays to the boiling water because we did not grease the tray enough. The trick to perfect bagels is probably the quick poaching in boiling water.

Before we baked them, we put seeds on some of them. We made poppy seed, sesame seed, and plain bagels. I think that making bagels is one of our favorite projects to do, as it is very fun! The coolest part is boiling them because they poof up and get very fat. We got this recipe from Crust And Crumb baking book. If you want to try out these delicious bagels you will need to first make a poolish style sponge...here are the recipes for both the starter and the bagel dough.

Poolish Sponge

-this gooey sponge is an excellent starter for rustic breads, focaccia and pizza.

• 4 cups unbleached bread flour.
• 4 cups cool water
• 1/4 tsp instant yeast

1. combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl large enough to hold a dough after it doubles in size
2. beat or whisk for about 1 minute until well mixed
3. cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature for 3-5 hours
4. refrigerate the poolish, well covered, over night

Bagel Dough

• 1 cup poolish-style sponge
• 1/2 tsp instant yeast
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 3 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
• 1 1/2 Tbs honey or 1 Tbs malt powder

1. measure out the sponge and let it sit for an hour before using to take the chill off
2. stir the yeast into the water and let it sit for 3 min
3. combine the sponge, flour, salt and honey in a bowl of an electric mixer with a dough hook. add the water-yeast mixture
4. if mixing by machine, mix for 1 minute on slow speed and 10-12 min on medium. if your mixer can't handle it then finish mixing by hand. the dough should be dense and fairly dry to the touch, smooth and stretchable
5. immediately cut the dough into 6-14 equal pieces depending on size of bagel you want. roll the pieces into balls, as if making dinner rolls. cover with plastic wrap or a clean towel and let them rest for 5 minutes
6. line a sheet pan with parchment paper and dust lightly with cornmeal or semolina
7. to form the bagels, poke a hole in the center of one piece of dough with your thumb. keep your thumb in the center, work the dough around expanding the hole until it's about 1 inch across. if it resists then let the dough rest for a few minutes.
8. place the shaped pieces about 2 inches apart on the prepared pan, enclose the pan in a plastic bag and let it rise for about 1 1/12 hours.
9. make sure the bag is closed and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
10. preheat oven to 475. lightly grease a sheet pan or line it with parchment. sprinkle with semolina or cornmeal and mist with cooking spray. remove the pan of dough at least a half hour before you plan to bake. fill a large pot with at least 4 inches of water and bring it to boil.
11. working in batches, gently drop the pieces of dough into the water. try not to crowd the pan. the pieces should have enough room to float face up without touching.
12. after a minute flip the bagels over with a slotted spoon and poach them on the other side for another minute.
13. remove the bagels with a slotted spoon allowing all the water to drip back into the pot. place them 2 inches apart on the prepared pan and sprinkle with seeds or whatever you'd like.
14. bake the bagels for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned. check them halfway through and rotate them front to back.
15. transfer the bagels to a rack or table top and let them cool for at least 30 minutes.

good luck and enjoy!!

the FDB

YUM!!!