Bagels

I saw a recipe from Food and Wine to make homemade bagels and for some reason decided I had to try it.  The process is a two day process and its rather involved but rewarding if you want to make your own bagels.  Granted mine were not as pretty as the picture of the recipe shown because when my risen bagel was boiled it was a perfect little bagel, I guess that only comes with practice.

Below is the link to the Food and Wine page if you want to check out their bagels and recipes.

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/homemade-bagels

Here is the recipe from Zoe Nathan at Food and Wine which you can view at the link above.

Poolish

1 1/3 cups bread flour 

1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast

Dough

1 teaspoon active dry yeast 

1/4 cup honey  

5 1/3 cups bread flour 

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour  

1 tablespoon salt 

1 tablespoon baking soda  

Poppy seeds, sesame seeds and coarse sea salt, for sprinkling 

1.  First make the poolish by combining the bread flour and yeast together with 1 cup lukewarm water  until combined with wooden spoon, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

2.  To make the dough combine yeast, honey with 1 and 2/3  cup of water with a dough hook in a standing mixer.   The poolish mixture is added to  the dough mixture.  Add the bread flour, whole wheat flour, and salt.   Beat the mixture at medium speed until stiff dough forms (5-7 mins).  

3.  Transfer to lightly floured surface and knead for 1 minute.  Transfer dough to an large oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Let stand in draft free spot till its doubled in size.  

4.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and oil well with vegetable oil.  Divide dough into 12 balls formed into tight balls.  Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let stand 30 minutes.  

5.  To form bagels poke your finger through center of each ball to make a 1/2" hole in each bagel.  Return the bagels to the baking sheet and let stand 1 hour until risen.  Add one bagel to a bowl of cold water if it floats it has risen enough.  

6.  Preheat oven to 475 degrees and position racks in the lower and middle thirds of the oven.  Line one baking sheet with a clean moist kitchen towel.  Line 2 other cookie sheets with oiled parchment paper.   Bring 2 large pots of water to a boil, add 1/2 Tablespoon of baking soda to each pot.  Add 2-3 bagels to each pot ( without crowding the bagels will swell up) simmer 1 1/2 minutes. Flip and simmer other side for 1 1/2 minutes.

7.  Transfer bagels to kitchen towel lined cookie sheet to drain.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds, salt, and poppy seeds.  Immediately move the bagels to parchment lined cookie sheets.  Repeat with remaining bagels.

8.  Bake for 18-20 minutes until deeply brown shifting mans from top to bottom halfway through baking.   

Can be stored in an air tight container for 3 days or frozen.