I think it’s easy to be intimidated by yeast breads.  That’s one of the reasons I started this blog.  What started out as a simple New Year’s resolution (50 new-to-me recipes in one year) became a love affair with all things yeast bread.

While I feel I have explored some of the more intimidating breads (croissants, artisan breads, etc.) I only dipped my hands into the doughs of the non-loaf breads.

Today I made bagels.  I was never much of a bagel eater in my youth, though they were popular among my friends.  The chewy texture was weird for me.  And, forgive me, but I do not like plain cream cheese (unless mixed with a lot of sugar!). But as I got older, I started to experiment with bagel sandwiches.  One of my favorites was a Thai-inspired bagel sandwich, made with a lovely peanut sauce, chicken, and sprouts. Mmmm.

But now the bread lover in me just appreciates a nicely flavored dough.  There is nothing I love more than plain bread, with just a little butter (hey, I *am* from Wisconsin) perhaps.

This bagel recipe, from King Arthur Flour (naturally), is simple to make and produces a plain bagel worthy of any home kitchen.  I far preferred the taste and texture to that of the bagels offered in my local refrigerator or freezer case.  And truthfully, compared to the ones offered in the bakery, these taste far more real and fresh.

While I may not be taking on any New York Bagelries in the near future, suffice it to say that I will, most definitely, be adding this recipe to my staple bread repetoire.

Again, this recipe is from King Arthur Flour, and for once, I did everything exactly as they prescribed.  Also, I opted for the brown sugar in lieu of the malt powder.

Dough
1 tablespoon instant yeast
4 cups (17 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon non-diastatic malt powder, brown sugar or barley malt syrup
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) water, lukewarm

Water Bath
2 quarts (64 ounces) water
2 tablespoons non-diastatic malt powder, brown sugar or barley malt syrup
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Manual/Mixer Method: To make this dough by hand or in a mixer, combine all of the dough ingredients and knead vigorously, by hand for 10 to 15 minutes, or by machine on medium-low speed for about 10 minutes. Since we’re using a high-protein bread flour here, it takes a bit more effort and time to develop the gluten. The dough will be quite stiff; if you’re using an electric mixer it will “thwap” the sides of the bowl, and hold its shape (without spreading at all) when you stop the mixer. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, and set it aside to rise till noticeably puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Bread Machine Method: Place all of the dough ingredients in the pan of the machine, program the machine for Dough or Manual, and press Start. Check the dough after 10 minutes; it should be quite stiff, and won’t have formed a smooth ball. The dough will feel quite firm when you poke your finger into it. Allow the machine to complete its cycle, then complete bagels as instructed below.

Transfer the dough to a work surface, and divide it into eight pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll it into a smooth, round ball (my video tutorial on perfectly shaping these). Cover the balls with plastic wrap, and let them rest for 30 minutes. They’ll puff up very slightly.

While the dough is resting, prepare the water bath by heating the water, malt and sugar to a very gentle boil in a large, wide-diameter pan. Preheat your oven to 425°F.

Use your index finger to poke a hole through the center of each ball, then twirl the dough on your finger to stretch the hole till it’s about 2 inches in diameter (the entire bagel will be about 4 inches across). Place each bagel on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.

Transfer the bagels, four at a time if possible, to the simmering water. Increase the heat under the pan to bring the water back up to a gently simmering boil, if necessary. Cook the bagels for 2 minutes, flip them over, and cook 1 minute more. Using a skimmer or strainer, remove the bagels from the water and place them back on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining bagels.

Bake the bagels for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they’re as deep brown as you like, turning them over about 15 minutes into the baking time (this will help them remain tall and round). Remove the bagels from the oven, and cool completely on a wire rack.