Mix until dough comes together into a shaggy ball, about 3 mins. The dough will be a stiff coarse ball. If not fully hydrated mix in another Tbsp of water. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.

After resting for 5 mins, continue mixing on the lowest speed for another 3-5 minutes, then transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand to smooth out the dough and develop the gluten. The dough should be stiff, yet supple with a satiny barely tacky feel. If the dough seems too soft or overly tacky mix in a tiny bit more flour. Cover dough in a bowl fitted with plastic wrap, let rise for 1 hour at room temperature.

After the rise. Divide the dough into 6 pieces.

Each piece should weigh 4 oz/113 grams each. Or just eyeball it and divide into 6 equal parts.

Form each piece into balls.

Shape the balls by rolling into an 8 inch rope.

Wrap around the palm of your hand and press the ends together to seal. The ends should overlap by 1-2 inches. You can roll it back and forth on the surface to seal.

Place the shaped bagels on a sheet pan, cover the entire pan with plastic wrap, and refrigerate over night or for up to two days.

When ready to bake, remove the pan from the fridge and let rest for 60-90 mins at room temperature.  Preheat the oven to 500º about 30 minutes.

Check if the bagels are ready by using the float test, place one bagel in a small bowl of water, if it floats its ready to boil. If one bagel passes the test they are all ready. If the bagel sinks, return it to the pan and wait another 15-20 mins and test again.

Make the poaching liquid, bring to a simmer, gently lower each bagel into the simmering liquid, then boil for 1 minute on each side.

After boiling, return to pan, sprinkle any toppings on the bagels.

Transfer bagels to oven, lower temperature to 450º. Bake for 8 minutes, rotate pan, then bake for another 8 minutes.

Cool for 30 mins before slicing or serving.

Missing New York and my favorite bagel spot.  If you’re up for a project its worth it.

VIBES: Curtis Mayfield “Give Me Your Love” Jay Z “Marcy Me”  Gladys Knight “Giving Up”Cam’ron + Kanye “Down and Out”

INGREDIENTS: 

Dough

• 1 tablespoon (0.75 oz / 21 g) barley malt syrup, honey, or rice syrup, or 1 teaspoon (0.25 oz / 7 g) diastatic malt powder
• 1 teaspoon (0.11 oz / 3 g) 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 or 35°C)
• 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 small bowl, add malt syrup, yeast and 1 cup water. Let the yeast proof for about 5 minutes or until the yeast mixture begins to bubble.

While the yeast is proofing, combine the flour and the salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the yeast mixture and beat on low speed until dough iswell blended. The dough should form a stiff, coarse ball, and the flour should be fully hydrated; if it isn’t, stir in a little more water. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.

Resume mixing with the dough hook on the lowest speed for another 3 minutes or transfer to a very lightly floured work surface and knead by hand for about 3 minutes to smooth out the dough and develop the gluten. The dough should be stiff yet supple, with a satiny, barely tacky feel. If the dough seems too soft or overly tacky, mix or knead in a little more flour. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for about an hour.

Line a sheet tray with a silicon baking sheet (or parchment). Divide dough into 8 equal pieces, about 4 oz. each. Using your hands roll out each piece of dough into a 8″ long rope. Shape the bagel (see video for reference) by laying you hand palm facing up in the center of the dough rope. Grabing one end of the rope with your thumb roll your hand connecting both ends of the dough together with a 1 ” overlap. Roll the dough on your work surface until the overlap is sealed together. Gently place the bagel dough on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough. Then mist the bagels with spray oil or brush with a light coating of oil. Cover the entire pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for up to 2 days.

When ready to bake, remove the dough from the fridge and let the dough rise about 60-90 minutes or until doubled.

While the dough is rising make the poaching liquid by filling a large pot with 2 to 3 quarts of water, making sure the water is atleast 4″ deep.  Add in barley malt syrup or honey, baking soda and salt. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and keep the poaching liquid at a simmer.

Pre-heat oven to 500°F.

When the bagels have risen, check that they are ready to be poached with the float test If a bagel floats when places in a bowl of water then it is ready to be poached. If it sinks, give it another 15 minutes to rise. If 1 bagel passes the float test, all of them are ready.

When the bagels pass the float test, poach them in the prepared pot of poaching liquid for 2 minutes, flipping halfway through. Handle the bagels carefully to not deflate them. Use a slotted spoon to transfer it back to the pan, domed side up.

Sprinkle on a generous amount of whatever toppings you like as soon as the bagels come out of the water.

Place bagels in the oven and reduce heat to 450º. Bake the bagels for 8 mins, then rotate the pan. Bake for another 8-10 mins or until golden brown.

Cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing or serving.

VARIATIONS + NOTES:

1. 1. You can replace any amount of the bread flour with an equal amount of whole grain flour (by weight), such as wheat or rye. If you do so, increase the water in the dough by 1 tablespoon (0.5 oz / 14 g) for every 2 ounces (56.5 g) of whole grain flour you substitute. I used all purpose flour in my recipe.
   2. Top your bagels with any combination of the following garnishes: poppy seeds, sesame seeds, coarse salt, or rehydrated dried onions or garlic. (Soak dried onions or garlic in water to cover for at least 1 hour before applying.) The toppings will stick even better if you first brush the top of each bagel with an egg white wash made by whisking 1 egg white with 1 tablespoon (0.5 oz / 14 g) of water. If using coarse salt as a garnish, remember that a little goes a long way.
   3. For raisin bagels, mix in 1 1/3 cups (8 oz / 227 g) of raisins during the final 2 minutes of mixing and, if you like cinnamon, stir 1/2 teaspoon (0.14 oz / 4 g) of ground cinnamon into the flour before you start mixing. When the bagels come out of the oven, brush the tops with melted butter and dip the top into a bed of cinnamon sugar to give it a very tasty cinnamon crust. You can make cinnamon sugar by whisking 2 tablespoons (1.6 oz / 44 g) of ground cinnamon into 1/2 cup (4 oz / 113 g) of granulated sugar.

Adapted from this recipe and this one.