Bagels! (Attempt #1)

Well, 08/08/08 is fast approaching, which means I have just about three months to perfect my bagel-making technique. So, here's the first attempt! I had to stray pretty far from the book recipe at times, since it was based on a food processor method and would have left me with a watery mess had I tried to follow it working by hand. If anybody has a good recipe that I wouldn't have to modify, do let me know!

Proof 2 teaspoons of yeast in 1 1/4 cups of warm water. Add to this 2 tablespoons of molasses and 2 teaspoons of salt. Then stir in 1 cup of whole wheat flour and 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour. Start kneading. Either spending time at the gym is turning me into a rugged beast vis-à-vis dough kneading, or this is just a really easy dough to work with. Almost certainly the former, right? Anyway, the dough won't take long to make smooth and elastic, and it will remain relatively sticky. Once done, put in a buttered bowl, cover, and set aside for the

First Rising (2 hours)
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Perhaps not too surprisingly, not too much to report this week...seeing as over the last several days I did remarkably little that wasn't related to studying or take-home exams.

But, as of turning in my last final on Friday, I am now officially through my first year of graduate school. And on the whole, I'd say it's been a good first few semesters, if a rather busy at times. It's a bit strange; most of the time this semester felt much more stressful and busy than my first semester. But my usual sort of internal metric for these things is something like how many days I'm feel like I want to rest, relax, and do absolutely nothing before getting back to work, and by that measure this was apparently not nearly as bad as the fall semester (a week and a half vs. one weekend). Maybe my finals were just easier than last time. Or it could just be that I'm excited to start research this Friday.
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Now, there are probably left over poppy seeds in your cupboard from a few weeks ago, but we all know that sesame seed bagels are far superior! With any luck, you'll be just a few minute's walk away from a neighborhood Asian market, where for low low prices you can get whatever your heart desires...as long as your heart desires bulk foods and spices with no English labeling, whole frozen fish (staring at you with their creepy, beady little eyes), or ginger beer imported from Jamaica. Anyway, 1 pound of sesame seeds: $1.99.

After the dough has risen punch it back down, and then divide into 8 equal pieces -- a number chosen mostly because it's so easy to cut things in half repeatedly. Now, roll each piece into a ball, and now it's time to make them look like bagels! With the thumb and middle finger, pinch each ball in the center and gently pull apart to form a nice, uniform ring. (Ahh...don't look to carefully at that back-most bagel)

Now, there's no real second rising according to my recipe, just a 15 minute break to let the bagels "relax." Whatever that means. Anyway, cover the bagels while you do something productive...maybe finish folding the laundry or something.

So, once the bagels are nice and rested, set the oven to 400 degrees and bring a large pot of water to a boil. Put the two bagels in the boiling water and watch them dance around...pretty entertaining. Anyway, after a minute, take the bagels out, flip them over, and put them back in for another minute. (Incidentally, this is an excellent time, in your continuing quest to actually use every utensil in the kitchen, to put to the test those two slotted bamboo spoons you have lying around.) Put on a lightly buttered wire rack to drain of the extra water as you repeat for the rest of the bagels.

When they are all finished, brush with cold water and cover half with poppy seeds and half with your newly acquired sesame seeds. Let bake in the oven for 23 minutes.


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Tasting verdict: A good first effort, somewhere in between supermarket bagels and real bakery bagels...but I've obviously still got some kinks to work out. The taste is just what I was hoping for, but the bagel texture wasn't quite there...not really as chewy as they should be. Perhaps I need to let them boil for a little longer? Also, the crust wasn't quite as crisp as I wanted, but I'm pretty sure that's because I threw in that whole wheat flour, so I'll skip that next time. Anyway, I think these will be just fine for breakfast for the next few days, so on the whole, a moderate success.

Currently reading: "Rigid Gaussian Chains I: the Scattering Function," "Theory of Dynamic Barriers, Activated Hopping, and the Glass Transition in Polymer Melts," etc.

Currently eating: Bagels and cream cheese, clearly. And, for dessert, Cold Stone Creamery ice cream.

Message of the day: Happy Mother's Day, Mom!