By Tracey
Plain Bagels
from Artisan Breads Every Day by Peter Reinhart
Ingredients:
Dough
- 1 tablespoon (0.75 oz / 21 g) barley malt syrup, honey, or rice syrup (I used honey)
- 1 teaspoon (0.11 oz / 3 g) instant yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (0.37 oz / 10.5 g) salt, or 2 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (9 oz / 255 g) lukewarm water (about 95°F)
- 3 1/2 cups (16 oz / 454 g) unbleached bread flour
Poaching Liquid
- 2 to 3 quarts (64 to 96 oz / 181 to 272 g) water
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (1 oz / 28.5 g) barley malt syrup or honey (optional)
- 1 tablespoon (0.5 oz / 14 g) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon (0.25 oz / 7 g) salt, or 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
Directions:
In a measuring cup stir the honey, yeast, salt and water. Add the flour to a medium bowl and pour in the honey mixture. Use a large wooden spoon to stir the dough for about 3 minute, until well blended. The dough should be stiff and coarse, and the flour fully hydrated. You can add a bit more water if necessary to hydrate the flour. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
Move the dough to a floured work surface and knead for about 3 minutes. You’re looking for the dough to be stiff but smooth and supple and just barely tacky. If necessary, knead in a small amount of extra flour. Form a ball and put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray the parchment lightly with cooking spray or oil. After the dough has risen, remove it from the bowl and divide it into 6 pieces, each weighing about 113 grams (or 4 oz). Form each piece of dough into a ball by rolling it on the work surface with your hand. Do not use additional flour on the work surface. To shape your bagel, use both hands to roll the ball out into an 8-inch rope, tapering the rope slightly at each end. Use a bit of water to moisten the last inch of each end of your rope then wrap the dough around the palm of your hand to form a circle. Overlap the ends of the dough by about 2 inches and squeeze them together well by closing your hand around them. Once sealed, use your hands to shape the circle to an even thickness all around, with a hole about 2 inches in diameter in the center.
Repeat to shape all 6 bagels and transfer each to the prepared baking sheet after shaping. Spray the tops of each lightly with cooking spray then cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for up to 2 days.
On the day you plan to bake the bagels, remove them from the refrigerator about 60-90 minutes before baking. Perform the “float test” on one to check if the bagels are ready – place a bagel in a bowl of cold water, if it floats you are good to go! If the bagel sinks and doesn’t return to the surface, return it to the pan and wait 15-20 then test again. Once a single bagel passes the test, they’re all ready. About 30 minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 500 F.
Fill a pot with 2-3 quarts of water that is at least 4 inches deep. Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer and stir in the baking soda, salt and honey (if using). Lower each bagel into the poaching liquid, taking care not to overcrowd the pot – you can do them in batches if necessary. After 1 minute, flip the bagels over and poach for 30-60 seconds on the other side. Use a slotted spoon or kitchen spider to transfer the bagels back to the baking sheet, domed side up. Make sure the parchment is lightly oiled or you won’t be able to remove the bagels after baking. I resprayed the parchment with cooking spray while the bagels were poaching.
After all the bagels have been poached, transfer the baking sheet to the oven and lower the temperature to 450 F. Bake for 8 minutes, then check the underside of the bagels to make sure they aren’t getting too dark. If they are, place under baking sheet under the one already in your oven. Bake for another 8-12 minutes, until the bagels are golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack and wait at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Makes 6 bagels.
