Serious Eats has a serious bagel recipe I latched onto by chance during the pandemic. Today, I made two, near-perfect batches that were far better than the ones I’ve made in the past.
I could never quite get the window pane effect after processing in a food processor. Yes, that’s right, not a stand mixer and not by hand. Bagel dough, with just four grams of instant yeast, is just too dense.
I always ended up processing the dough in spurts, taking a break a few minutes in between so as not to overheat it. By the time the dough was almost window-pane-y, after five to six bouts of processing, I’d end up with craggy, half-torn rings that looked a little like they were run over by a truck.
But not this time.
I don’t know what happened, but I was able to follow the recipe, processing the dough both batches for 90 seconds. They shaped nice and full and smooth, too, the way they were supposed to look and feel.
I was also able to control the foaming during the boiling method. Seems barley malt has acid, which causes the water to foam and boil over if you’re not standing over the pot, adjusting the heat.
The only thing I would improve on is not letting the bagels bake for the full 25 minutes, as the recipe calls for, but watch the dough until golden. In my case, about 20 minutes. I’m always afraid I’ll underbake. But 20 minutes is okay.
Make sure you brush with egg wash before baking for a shiny gold finish.
But everyone said the bagels were the best they ever had. They looked and tasted amazing.
If I ever opened a bakery, we’d all be in trouble.
Below are more pics… Food isn’t just food, but art. At least to me.