Recipe: Basic No-Fail Bagels

recipelink.com Chat Room Recipe Swap - 2001-06-24
From: recipelink.com

Basic No-Fail Bagels
From: Janie McKinney
Newsgroup: rec.food.recipes
Date: 8-8-97

Adapted from The Bagel Bible by Marilyn and Tom Bagel
Makes 16 bagels

You can bake these plain or create an assortment by adding different toppings just before baking--for example, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dehydrated onion flakes, or dehydrated or fresh minced garlic.

2 (.6-ounce) cakes fresh yeast OR 2 (1/4-ounce) packets active dry yeast
2 teaspoons sugar (only if using dry yeast)
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 1/8 cups high-gluten bread flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
Toppings: Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dehydrated onion flakes, dehydrated or fresh minced garlic

If you use cake yeast: Be sure to note the expiration date printed on the package. If you have any doubt as to its freshness, crumble it; cake yeast is good if it crumbles readily. Dissolve the yeast completely in 2-1/2 cups cool water in a large mixing bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes. Proceed to step 2. If you use dry yeast: Place the yeast in a glass with 1/2-cup warm water (the water should feel warm to your fingertips). Stir in the 2 teaspoons of sugar. Mix until the yeast is completely dissolved and set aside in a draft-free place for 5 minutes. The mixture should bubble up, producing a foamy layer on top. (If it doesn't bubble up, you probably used water that was too hot and killed the yeast, in which case you'll have to discard it and start over. If you have any doubts about the water temperature, it's better to use water that is too cool.) Pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl and add 2 cups lukewarm water.

Stir in the salt. Add 5 1/2 cups flour, a cup at a time, mixing with a wooden spoon to blend after each addition. Dough will be sticky. Spread 1/4-cup flour on a tabletop or other kneading surface. Place the dough on the flour. (You may have some dry flour remaining in the mixing bowl. Shake that onto the dough as well.) Place an additional 1/4-cup of flour on top of the dough. Begin kneading slowly until the flour comes together with the rest of the dough. Then knead vigorously for 15 minutes. It may be necessary to add a bit more flour if the mixture is sticky. (That's what the extra 1/8-cup is for.) Note: Sometimes on a humid day your dough will be sticky and difficult to knead even after you add the 1/8-cup flour. At these times, simply dip your hands in the flour, shake off the excess, and continue kneading. You can do this as often as necessary. Just be sure not to add additional flour to the dough. Your floured hands will be sufficient.

Using a sharp knife dipped in flour, cut the dough into sixteen equal sections. Take a section of dough and roll it in your palms to make a ball. Poke your thumbs through the center and work around to make a hole a bit larger than the size of a quarter. Repeat with the remaining sections. Spread 1/4-cup cornmeal on each of two trays or wooden cutting boards and place 8 formed bagels on each, about 1 inch apart. Cover with a clean dishtowel and place in a warm, draft-free spot for 45 minutes to rise. (An unheated oven is the perfect place.)

Remove towel and place boards or trays of bagels in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large pot, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Prepare 2 cookie sheets by spreading them with some additional cornmeal. After you have refrigerated the bagels for an hour, remove them and place them, 4 at a time, in the boiling water (a process called "kettling"). The perfect bagel, when kettled, should sink to the bottom of the pot of boiling water and rise immediately. Boil for about 4 minutes, turning the bagels over every 30 seconds or so with a slotted spoon. If your bagels don't sink to the bottom when you first put them into the pot, don't worry. However, if they sink to the bottom and lie there, wait until they rise to the top (and they will) before timing your 4 minutes.

After kettling, remove the bagels with a slotted spoon and place them on top of a clean towel for a few seconds to drain off excess water. Then place the bagels on the cookie sheets (8 on each). Liberally sprinkle them with your favorite toppings. (Some people like to brush beaten egg on top before sprinkling toppings on. This makes a crustier bagel, which we do not recommend.) Bake for 35 minutes, or until golden. Watch the bagels carefully toward the end of the baking time because every oven is different. After taking them out of the oven, remove the bagels from the cookie sheets and let them cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.