Recipe: Egg Bagels

Egg Bagels
Source: Chicago Tribune, 1983
Makes 12 bagels

4 cups bread flour
3/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
2 1/2 teaspoons, 1/4 ounce, or 1 envelope dry yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
l 3/4 teaspoons salt

For boiling and for glaze:
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg, beaten with a pinch of salt

Sift flour into large bowl. Make a well in the center. Pout in 1/4 cup of the warm water. Sprinkle the yeast on top and add 1 teaspoon sugar. Leave for 10 minutes until the yeast is foamy. Add remaining teaspoon sugar, oil, eggs, remaining 1/2 cup water and the salt.

Mix with a wooden spoon until the ingredients begin to come together to a dough. When mixing with a spoon becomes difficult, mix in the remaining flour by hand.

Knead dough vigorously on a work surface until very smooth and no longer sticky, about 10 minutes.

Put dough in a clean oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth. Let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until light but not doubled in volume. The dough can be made 1 day ahead; it should be left to rise 1/4 hour then should be punched down and refrigerated overnight. Be sure it is covered with a damp cloth so it doesn't dry out; let it come to room temperature before continuing.

Knead dough again lightly. Roll it to a thick log. Cut into 12 pieces with a floured knife. To shape the bagels, roll each piece of dough to a very smooth ball by holding it under your cupped palm on an unfloured surface, and rolling it over and over on the surface, pressing quite hard. The more the dough is rolled, the more even in shape the final bagel will be. Flatten the ball slightly.

Make a hole by flouring your index finger and pushing it through the center of the round of dough. Twirl the round of dough around your finger to stretch the hole, then insert 2 fingers and continue twirling. Gently pull the edges to even out the shape of the bagel. Cover and let rise on floured board 15 minutes.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. To boil the bagels, heat 2 quarts water and 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar to a boil in large saucepan. Add 3 or 4 bagels; boil 1 minute. Turn them over; boil 1 minute. If the holes begin to close, force them open with the handle of a wooden spoon. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bagels to a cloth or to paper towels. Repeat with the remaining bagels.

Put the bagels on 2 lightly floured or greased baking sheets. Brush with beaten egg. Bake at 400 degrees 20 minutes, or until browned. If both baking sheets don't fit on the center oven rack, bake them one above the other and switch their positions after 10 minutes.

If not serving them right away, cool on wire rack; wrap well. They keep 2 days at room temperature. They can also be frozen and
reheated before serving.