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Re: Homemade bagel questions

Roel Wyman <roel.wyman@utoronto.ca>
Mon, 7 Mar 2011 10:38:59 -0500
v111.n011.4
Adam - this recipe is very faulty. It doesn't allow for proper rising 
and dough development, and it grossly overstates the time necessary 
for boiling. Depending on your recipe and how light you like your 
bagels, they should rise to 1 1/2 to 2 times original size after 
shaping before simmering; then about 1 - 1 1/2  minute per side, 
until they float to the top. More risen bagels may not sink at all. 
And the water should be just simmering, not at a rolling boil.

Then drain briefly, dip in sesame, poppy seeds, etc. and bake. *Not broil.*

Some recipes suggest diastatic malt powder in the water - you can try 
this if you wish. I haven't got around to it. Or a tablespoon of 
wheatlets (Cream of Wheat) boiled in the water for a few minutes will 
help form the glazed surface. If your bagels have been resting on 
wheatlets as they rise, a good bakery tradition, the accumulation of 
the adherent wheatlets in the water will have the same effect. Do not 
use high-protein bread flour; instead of regular all-purpose, which 
is okay, try to get some baker's clear or plain flour. The lower 
protein flour is better for bagels as well as classic French breads. 
Also, about 10% light rye flour in the mix provides a more authentic 
texture and flavour.

These points are for a New York or Toronto-style bagel, not a 
Montreal-style bagel, about which, in my opinion, the less said the better!

Roel