According to Charles Van Over, a food processor, an instant-read thermometer, and a baking stone are the only equipment essential to making the best bread you will ever eat. You also have to be willing to make a leap of faith, following his precise method meticulously: the bread dough must be made in a food processor.
There is much debate about what constitutes a truly great bagel - chewy or crisp, dense or fluffy. I like a chewy bagel with a hardy, golden crust. My friend, Ray Frosti, an avid home baker with a bagel fixation, took it upon himself to conquer the bagel. He did the research, talked to the 'old bagel guys' and learned their secrets, modifying their recipes for home use.
High-gluten or bread flour gives bagels their solid, chewy crumb. The food processor simplifies the mixing of the dough, ensuring that the gluten is well developed. When mixing the dough, you can tell it is dry without stopping the food processor; as the dough spins in the bowl, little pieces trail a larger ball of dough. This dough feels cool and dense when it is first removed from the processor. Don't be alarmed; as the dough ferments, it softens.
Form the bagels right after mixing the dough; the bagels develop their true flavor from a long fermentation in the refrigerator. "In a real bagel bakery, the dough is allowed to rise for 24 to 48 hours before final proofing," Ray says.
For morning-fresh bagels, mix the dough and form the bagels in the afternoon the day before you want them. Mix two batches of this dough to make an even dozen bagels. Just be certain to space them an inch apart on the baking sheet so that they donít grow together while fermenting and proofing. The bagels are boiled very briefly just before they are baked to give them their distinctive thick crust. The water gives the crust a sheen and allows the bagels to bake without burning. Bake them long enough to develop their dark, glistening surface.
If you enjoy seeded or savory bagels, sprinkle them with poppy, caraway, or sesame seeds, coarse salt, or minced dried onion just before serving.
Makes 6 bagels
Fermentation:
12 to 16 hours in the refrigerator,
37 degrees F to 45 degrees F
Proofing:
20 to 25 minutes at room temperature,
70 degrees F to 72 degrees F
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons (water 300 grams/9 1/2 ounces)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon sugar (15 grams)
sesame, poppy, or caraway seeds, coarse salt, or dried onion (optional, for garnish)
cornmeal for baking sheet
Generously sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal and set aside.
Place the flour, brown sugar, salt, and yeast in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Using an instant-read thermometer, adjust the water temperature so that the combined temperatures of the flour and the water give a base temperature of 130 degrees F if using a Cuisinart or KitchenAid or 150 degrees F if using a Braun. With the machine running, pour all but 2 tablespoons of the water through the feed tube. Process for 20 seconds, adding the remaining water if the dough seems dry and does not some together in a ball during this time.
Stop the machines and let the dough rest in the processor bowl for 5 minutes. It will noticeably soften as it rests. Then process for 25 seconds longer, for a total mixing time of 45 seconds.
Stop the machine and take the temperature of the dough with an instant-read thermometer. It should be between 75 degrees F and 80 degrees F. If the temperature is lower than 75 degrees F, process the dough for an additional 5 seconds, up to twice more, until it reaches the desired temperature. If the temperature is higher than 80 degrees F, remove the thermometer , scrape the dough from the food processor into an ungreased bowl, and refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes. Check the temperature after 5 minutes; it should be 80 degrees F or cooler by that time.
Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. It will be relatively firm. With a dough scraper or kitchen knife, divide the dough into 6 equal pieces.
To form the bagels, take each piece of dough and roll it into a ball. Flatten the ball, then fold it in half, sealing the edges with your fingertips. Then fold again to form a tight cylinder. Roll the dough into a tube about 9 inches long. Wrap this piece around the palm of your hand, overlapping the dough about 2 inches. Pinch the ends together to form a ring. (The hole in a bagel formed this way will be the right proportion once the dough is proofed, boiled, then baked.) Repeat with the remaining balls and transfer the bagels to the baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart.
Rub a bit of flour on the top of each bagel, then cover the sheet loosely with plastic wrap. (the flour will keep the plastic wrap from sticking to the dough as it ferments.) Place the bagels in the refrigerator for 12 to 16 hours, preferable overnight.
The next day, one hour before baking, put the oven rack on the second shelf from the bottom of the oven and place the baking stone on the rack. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Take the bagels from the refrigerator. Remove the plastic wrap and let them proof at room temperature, 70 degrees F to 72 degrees F, for 20 to 25 minutes. While the bagels are proofing, bring a 4-quart pot of water to boil. Add the baking soda and sugar. Sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal.
Test to see that the bagels are proofed: Insert and instant-read thermometer into the center of one to check the internal temperature of the dough; it should be between 55 degrees F and 60 degrees F.
Set a colander in the sink. Drop one bagel in the boiling water. If it floats this means the bagels are proofed and ready to be boiled and baked. Boil the bagel for 5 to 10 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to turn it over and boil it for another 5 to 10 seconds. Transfer the bagel from the boiling water to drain in the colander. Boil the remaining bagels, one at a time, in the rapidly boiling water for o more than 10 seconds on each side, then drain them in the colander. Do not be concerned if the bagels sit on top of each other while draining. They are resilient and will regain their shape when baked.
Transfer the drained bagels to the baking sheet, spaced 2 inches apart. While the bagels are still wet from boiling, sprinkle them with the optional toppings.
Place the baking sheet in the oven. Reduce the heat to 425 degrees F and bake for about 10 minutes. Open the oven and rotate the tray of bagels so that they brown evenly. Continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes longer until the bagels are uniformly browned.
Store the bagels in a paper bag for up to 24 hours. For longer storage, put the bagels in a plastic bag and store in the freezer. They will keep, frozen, for up to a month. Thaw them at room temperature for 10 minutes before reheating.
