Bagels, schmagels. I had always been tempted to try my hand at making bagels, but figured that with kids underfoot, the idea of boiling the dough was ridiculous. When the recipe for bagels showed up in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day and then again in the Star Tribune recently, I figured my time was up..
There was no school on Monday and the boys decided that bagels would be a fun way to pass the time while Louise napped. They helped mix, stir and play with the dough while they sat perched on the kitchen stools. Later in the afternoon we formed the dough into little balls and let them nap under their saran wrap blanket for about 20 minutes.
With a finger inserted into the middle and a little twirl of the wrist, they quickly transformed themselves into bagel look-alikes, or maybe donuts headed for the grease.
After two minutes boiling on the first side and another minute on the other, you take them out of the water to rest on a lightly floured dish towel. They dry out a bit and the moisture is absorbed by the flour and the towel. At this point, you top them with sesame seeds, poppy seeds or whatever strikes your fancy.
They bake at 400 degrees on a pre-heated pizza stone for twenty minutes. I didn't think it would be possible to replicate the chewy texture of a bagel or the slightly rubbery outside... but Zoe and Jeff lead the way. A lot of work? Yes. Worth it? Maybe. Fun? Oh yeah..
What's your favorite flavor?
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p.s. If you're just getting started with baking the Five Minutes a Day way, make sure to take a peek over here. Zoe is baking her way back through the book and offering tips for new bakers.
5 comments:
Jen, so glad you liked the bagels. My neighbor made them last week and we all enjoyed them, too.
I am SO bumming on the healthy bread. Have you had good luck with it? I like the Artisan bread a lot, but my health bread is always super dense and not yummy. Julia, carbo-loader, is my test kitchen and she give it the thumbs down. I think I need your and Zoe's help.
You. Are. Awesome! Those look terrific! I just pulled this book out again last weekend and made up a couple of batches of dough. We had the standard boule and some caramel pecan rolls. I also tried the Chris Kimball's Wheat Sandwich bread. Pretty good, but not light enough for Neal's taste.
Did you take your class yet? Thanks for the tip about Zoe's blog!
Yeah, I know what you mean about the denseness of the Chris Kimball loaf. I wasn't really pleased with it either. I'm looking for a loaf to use for every day sandwiches for us and the kids. Or maybe a do-at-home version of the honey whole wheat from Great Harvest. Let's work on it!
Jenn2, you are a-maz-ing! I am put to shame. . .
Jenn, there is a link on the sidebar of my page under meals for a simple whole wheat bread. It's from allrecipes I think. It is my go-to for a lighter sandwich style wheat bread. I like it a lot, but I was trying for something a little different. If only I could make breads to rival Great Harvest! Maybe we'll get there!
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