Bagels

I recently found out that Kheng worked at Spiegelman's bagel shop at one point, and immediately decided that this week's lesson would be making bagels.

I used the recipe for basic bagels from 'Granny White's Bread Recipes.'

• 2−1/2 to 3 cups spelt or whole wheat bread flour
• 1−1/4 cups water
• 1 packet (1/4 oz or 1 tbsp) quick rising yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp molasses

We kneaded the dough together in the electric mixer, then let it rest in a warm oven for about 30 minutes. Chopped the dough into 12 chunks, rolled each chunk into a log, and connected the ends to form bagels. Boiled them in salted molasses water for about 2 minutes each. Topped them off with various combinations of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, caraway seeds, and onion salt. Baked in a 450F dry oven for 15 to 20 minutes until nicely browned.

The results were ok. I've had my share of bagels, and, being Jewish, I have high expectations for my bagels. Next time I will let the dough rise a bit longer before forming the bagels.

I guess bagels are another one of those simple things in principle, complicated by the variations of the fine details: what type of oven do you use? what type/ blend of flour? how much salt? how long should the dough rise? what do you put into the boiling water? how long do you boil? etc...