To fermentation and beyond...the harsh realities of the kitchen

Today was not a good day for me in the culinary arts. Not a good day at all. I guess it started a week ago Sunday when I made the dough. And then I let it chill overnight. And overnight. And overnight again 7 times over. I got busy. I figured chilled is chilled right? Wrong. While it was chilling it was also fermenting. When I took the plastic wrap off the dough it was clear that something was a little off. The whole thing reaked of alcohol. I googled and called Little Chef to no available (don't worry LC, this is all just to add to the drama of the post!). Apparently no one is stupid enough to do this because I did not find any information about over fermenting your dough that quite matched what I had done. Note to others, do not google "my dough smells bad" unless you want a whole slew of moderately x-rated options. And it doesn't seem to be rising in the cute fluted cups. Sadly, I think it headed for trash can. The dough itself tasted awful and no amount of baking will fix it. In addition, the pasta I made was mushy and not particularly memorable. I hate throwing away time and resources, but I hate wasting calories and eating things that are only so so just because. Better luck tomorrow with my lentils and ciabatta.

In true NY bagel baking style

Not ascetically pleasing, but very very tasty! I decided right off the bat that if a true blue New Yorker couldn't find malt, I certainly wasn't going to waste my time. Honey it was. Right off the bat I was having problems. First my bubbly yeast mixture did not collapse when I banged the bowl very firmly (multiple times) against the counter. Then, even though I added a whole extra half cup of flour, my dough was sticky, sticky, sticky and was not passing the windowpane test. Sigh. I felt a slight panic coming on. I shaped all my dough into what I estimated to be 4.5 ounce balls and waited. Then I reshaped into bagels. Then I read the recipe again. What? What!? These have to sit overnight? I had planned to start the week with freshly baked bagels and now it was 9:30pm on a Sunday night. Double sigh. But in my semi-darkest moment, there was some hope. I could not have been more excited when my test bagel floated and the success inspired me to to rise early, in true NYC bagel baking style and boil my tasty delights before the sun rose. Since Phil was getting up at 5:30am the next day, I did as well and boiled and baked away in my dark kitchen. I decided on three flavors: plain, sesame, and sea salt (courtesy of Little Chef!) with rosemary. I ran into problems getting the bagels to hold their shape when peeling them off the sheet to drop in the water, and so my bagels were fairly flat. But the taste was fantastic - I have been assured by two harsh critics that they taste as good as any professional bagel. Success is mine!

the test bagel floats
can you stop the test bagel now? (kinda messed that one up in the drying process)

Chewy Bagels in Portland, Oregon

Right now I'm enjoying a chewy, golden bagel covered in cream cheese, smoked salmon and sliced tomato, and drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil, and I made it. I'm feeling irrationally proud of myself.

I didn't believe that the bagels would work out. First, I couldn't find high gluten flour and had to substitute King Arthur organic bread flour. Then, I couldn't locate malt powder and had to substitute raw honey. And the final straw was when the super stiff dough so overwhelmed the tenacity of my little Kitchen Aid that the poor machine sputtered to what may be it's final finish.

Then, it was difficult to shape an attractive bagel. Like Glenna, I resorted to poking holes in my bread balls, because the traditional method yielded lopsided loops. The poke-method bagels did turn out a bit prettier, although several still puffed up asymmetrically. I guess practice is key to shaping any kind of loaf. It was fun though, making rows of bagels, and I loved seeing them lined up neatly in my fridge, awaiting the boiling and baking.

But I forgot to mention that I had to wait several hours for my test bagel to pass the float test. My dough was that stiff (or our apartment's that cold)! Did anyone else encounter this issue?

Once I boiled the bagels, I covered them in a mixture of nigella seeds and red sea salt. The resulting taste is salty, tart and nutty: yum. I experimented with different boiling times, and found I like my bagels boiled for about 2 minutes per side and then baked for about 12 minutes to achieve a really chewy, golden brown crust. The insides are porcelain white and soft, and just as good as any professional bagel I've eaten.

The bagels are yummy, but what's even more satisfying than the eating is the pleasure of mixing and shaping and creating something beautiful out of flour and water. And I love seeing all of your pictures. Mine will come soon...

--Rhi