1 Cup warm water (105 to 115F) 1 packet yeast (2.25tsp) 1 Tbsp veggie oil 1.5 tsp salt 1 Tbsp barley malt syrup (I don't know what it is or where one finds it, but I used honey) 1 egg, lightly beaten 4 cups all purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda (for boiling bagels)
Stir together water and yeast (it doesn't say to let it foam, I gave mine about 5 minutes). Add oil, salt, and syrup (honey). Add flour and combine to form a rough dough. Turn out dough onto a floured board, and knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. *I used my kitchenaid with a dough hook. It does NOT come together to form a ball in the mixer, it just over beats it. Once it comes together, dump it out of the mixer and knead by hand.
Let the dough rest for 20 minutes in the bowl. *Grease your bowl with olive oil or veggie oil spray and make sure your dough ball is greased so it doesn't dry out. Cover. I put mine in the oven with the oven light on.
After 20 minutes, divide into 12 pieces. *I did 8 because I didn't want small bagels. Looking back, I should have made them fatter and not as big. But I would still have used 8 pieces
Roll each piece into a "snake" and join the ends to form a circle. *Pinch the ends and return them back to as round as possible, but make sure they are pinched. Otherwise they come apart when you boil
Place the bagels on a baking sheet, foil, parchment, or silicone mat - cover lightly and let them rest again for 20 minutes. *Grease your baking sheet and grease the plastic wrap you put over them. I use the spray and just give it a spray. Otherwise it will stick. Why this book doesn't ever have you grease anything is beyond me.
The magazine then states you can put them in the fridge until the next morning and finish up in the morning.
"In the morning" take a large pot and boil water; add your baking soda to the boiling water. Preheat your own to 450F. Place your bagels (don't crowd them) in your boiling water and boil for 1 minute PER SIDE. Before hand, prep your final baking pan by lightly greasing it and adding toppings if you want them on both sides. *I put a layer of poppyseeds down. I pulled them out of the water with a slotted spoon and dropped them on the sheet and sprinkled the topping on right after as well.
Bake for 12 minutes, rotate once at half way point.
I needed to make them fatter, so that they had more innards. Mine were fairly thin and I like them chewy.
Other than that, I could have added a bit more salt.
But all in all, they are good. I'm pretty proud of myself.
Oh man. Fresh, albeit imperfect bagels definitely trump store bought bagels. I may have to conquer my fear of yeast packets and try baking my own.
Don't be scared of yeast! Just don't kill it and you'll be fine. I buy big tubs of yeast at the local Mennonite store for $3, so when I accidentally kill mine, I just toss the water and start over. I also just use hot tap water, don't bother warming it up in the microwave. Your tap water all the way on hot is good enough.