New York Bagel Secrets
No fancy rolling or forming techniques, just a VERY simple bagel roll as pretty and tasty as you would buy at any good bakery! Try to watch the cooking videos at Gourmandia for more info. Making good quality bagels has long eluded many a home cook, until now. This Bakery-Style Bagel recipe is very easy and yet brings with it the lovely texture and high quality flavor many miss when poaching and baking at home just like any other easy desserts. The outside is crispy, while inside is soft, yet having that "toothy" quality all really good bagels must offer. You may never want to buy a bagel again! Add a schmear of cream cheese and paper thin slices of smoked salmon and this homemade bagel becomes a perfect traditional snack we all crave just like other easy dessert recipes. The recipe is as simple as simple can be, with results even my Jewish Grandmother couldn't argue with.
Ingredients: 2 packages of rapid rise highly active dry yeast (eliminates the need for a second rise, which saves time in the kitchen and the results are still outstanding) 2 cups warm water—about 120°F to 130°F for the highly active yeast. (this is higher than what most yeast calls for, but this is the recommended temperature range printed on the packaging, which works very well in this dough making process) 3 TBL sugar 3 tsp salt (these are teaspoons NOT TBL) 5½ to 6 cups All-purpose flour, unsifted 3 to 4 quarts of water with 2 TBL sugar and 2TBL honey added
¼ cup of cornmeal for sprinkling on baking sheets 1 tsp *onion powder 1 tsp *garlic powder 1 TBL *dried basil 1 TBL *whole caraway seeds 1 egg YOLK beaten with 1 TBL cool water
How to Make Homemade Yeast Bagel Dough
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Stir in sugar and salt; gradually mix in 4 cups of the flour. Beat well until it becomes a smooth batter. Mix in about 1¼ cups more flour to make the dough quite stiff. Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead until smooth and elastic (10 to 20 minutes), adding flour as needed to prevent sticking—this dough should be firmer than with most other yeast breads. Turn the dough over in a greased bowl; cover and let rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size. How to Shape the Dough into a Bagel
Once the dough is ready, punch it down; knead briefly on a lightly floured surface to release the air, then divide the dough into 18 equal pieces. To shape the dough, knead each piece, forming it into a smooth ball. Holding the ball with both hands, poke your thumbs through the center. With one thumb in the hole, work around the perimeter, shaping the bagel
like a doughnut, 2½ to 3 inches across. Place the formed bagels on a lightly floured board, cover lightly, and let stand in a warm place until all the dough is shaped accordingly.
How To Boil Bagels
Poaching and Baking Bagels
Bring water-sugar-honey mixture to a boil in a 5-quart pan; adjust heat to keep it boiling gently. Lightly grease a baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal -or- place a piece of parchment paper on the baking sheet and sprinkle with the cornmeal. Gently lift one bagel at a time and drop it into the poaching water; boil about 4 or 5 at a time. Turn each bagel over every 30 seconds, for a total of 6 minutes boiling time for each bagel. Lift the bagels out one at a time with a slotted spatula (I use a rubber fish spatula because of its broad size and long slots), and drain on a clean towel for about 15 seconds (no longer or they will stick to the towel) pat the top dry with the corner of same towel, then place them on the baking sheet. Brush each bagel with the egg yolk mixture. Bake in a 400°F oven for approximately 25 to 30 minutes or until well browned and crusty. Cool on a rack. Makes 18 bagels. Source: http://k9keystrokes.hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Make-Bakery-Style-Bagels-the-Easy-Way