Took a month to source the ingredients but it was worth while. The internal debate was choosing the malt, non-diastatic vs diastatic, the brand of high gluten bread flour, and ultimately how much I wanted to spend.

Non-diastatic malt is inert and will not act as a catalyst to extract sugars from the flour, it’s only used for flavoring. Diastatic malt adds the familiar bagel flavor but also aides in release of sugars providing food for the yeast. From my perspective diastatic malt provides a double benefit. As it turns out, it’s also cheaper.

There are several brands of high gluten bread flour mostly differentiated by the protein percentage and cost. King Arthur Flour’s Sir Lancelot comes highly recommended although not the cheapest. Despite the expense I ordered 6lbs, enough for 2-3 dozen bagels.

With the ingredients settled I focused on determining a suitable forming technique. Peter Reinhart describes two techniques. First is forming a dough ball, pressing two opposing points on the sphere together yielding a hole, and expanding it to approximately two inches. Second is rolling an eight inch rope and wrapping it around your fist pressing the ends together. Philosophically I take issue with the later technique, it’s an inelegant solution having to weld together two ends while the former revels the torus hiding within the sphere. Mathematically both techniques are equivalent but I believe the former to be a more robust solution.

Bagels use the sponge technique. A sponge is a preferment that uses all or most of the yeast. After about two hours, once the sponge begins bubbling and nearly doubles in size the rest of the flour, malt, and salt are added. The dough is extremely stiff and will give your stand mixer a hefty workout. After mixing is complete the dough is immediately divided and formed into balls. It’s allowed to rest for twenty minutes, shaped, and allowed to rest again before retarding in the refrigerator . During this time the dough is proofing, the yeast generating gas causing the dough to expand. The test for retarding is called the ‘float test’. As the name implies a formed dough bagel is placed in liquid and if it floats it’s ready.

Overnight the dough retards in the refrigerator. This slows fermentation bringing out flavor.

The most unique step in making bagels is boiling them in a vat of water mixed lye or in my case baking soda. Alkalizing the water causes gelatinization of the outer skin and I believe it’s what gives bagels their shine and crisp crumb. Each bagel boils for 1-2 minutes per side, longer for chewier bagels. After boiling, and sooner the better, the bagels are baked for ten minutes or until golden brown.

The results are awesome. Superb. Better than any bagel I’ve purchased.

What next? Hearty dark and chewy rye, or perhaps an enriched bread. If you’re reading this perhaps you have a request? If so add a comment.