Bagels!

I have a complicated relationship with bagels.  They are rewarding and fun to make.  They are also time consuming and very hands on.  When I opened 2nd Street Bakery, I had no idea that the demand for bagels would result in so much lost sleep.  It turns out that people love bagels.
Making bagels is simple.  First, you proof the yeast by adding 4 t. yeast and 2 T. sugar to 2 cups warm (approx. 120 deg.) water.  When the yeast and sugar begin to bubble and grow you are ready to add, 1 T. salt, 2 T. gluten (yes, I love gluten) 2 T. oil and 5 cups of flour.  I use a mixer to combine all ingredients, but I used to use my hands.  Either will work, but I have found that the longer you mix bread dough, the lighter and fluffier your bread will be (thanks to gluten).  Bagel dough should be fairly stiff and it can be very hard on mixers.  If your dough is not stiff and is sticking to the counter or the mixing bowl, add more flour.

At this point in the process you can add extra ingredients to your dough if you would like.  Some examples include; roasted garlic, bacon (New Yorkers are appalled by this, but "Wyoming-ites" love it), blueberries, cinnamon, raisins, cranberries, spinach, anything that sounds good.  Please note, that if you add something with a lot of moisture, like spinach or blueberries, you will have to add more flour to compensate.  Place the dough in a bowl, cover with plastic or a towel and let rise for one hour.

Remove dough from the bowl, and roll into a long cylinder.  Cut the dough into 10-12 equal sizes pieces.  There are a number of ways to form a bagel.  You can roll the dough into a tube and connect the two ends to form a circle.  That is the easy way.  Needless to say, that is not the way I do it.   I shape my piece of dough into a disc and poke a hole in the middle with my thumb and index finger.  Then I do a lot of unnecessary, repetitive patting, pinching and pulling until I  am satisfied with the shape of my bagel.  You will place your formed bagels onto a greased baking sheet, and let stand for 20 minutes while you prepare the water.

I use a large roasting pan if I am doing a small batch of bagels.  However, any pot that will accommodate a couple inches of water will work.  My roasting pan is 4 and half inches deep, and I fill it just over halfway full.  It is important that the water stay boiling, so a lid is helpful.  I put a couple teaspoons of baking soda in the water just before I add my first round of bagels.

The bagels will immediately start growing.  Boil for approximately 45 seconds on each side.  You can use a slotted spoon or spatula to flip them over in the water.  When you remove the from the water, place them on a towel while you drop the next round in the water.  You can fit 5-6 bagels at a time in a 16x12 in. roasting pan.
After the bagels have boiled, place them back on the baking pan and top with desired toppings.  I brush bagels with egg whites to get seeds, garlic or sugar to stick.  You can also sprinkle with cheese or bacon or jalapenos or all of the above!  Then place the pan in a preheated 375 degree oven and bake for 15 minutes or until golden on edges.  Happy baking!