Rosie Rocks With BAGELS!

You may or may not remember I had yeast leftover from the packet on Friday. So, I'm using the leftover yeast in yet another recipe from Baking With Julia. And that would be BAGELS! So grab a chair, sit back and relax, and learn how to make bagels.

Here are my ingredients: Circling around, starting at top left, I have: 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 6 cups high-gluten flour (bread flour) 2 1/4 cups tepid water 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper 1 tablespoon salt 2 tablespoons sugar 3 tablespoons Crisco

I added my yeast to the warm water.

Then added a sprinkling of sugar. I whisked the mixture, and let it rest until the yeast dissolved and was creamy.

I poured the remaining 2 cups water into a large bowl and added the vegetable shortening.

I added the yeast mixture.

Along with one tablespoon salt.

And two tablespoons sugar.

And two teaspoons freshly ground black pepper.

Stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon, I added the flour, 1/2 cup at a time.

I stopped short at 4 cups of flour and turned the dough out onto my board.

I kneaded it for about 20 minutes, until I got a nice, smooth, elastic dough.

I formed the dough into a ball and placed into a buttered bowl and poured melted butter over top.

I covered it with plastic and my wet, hot towels and let it rise until doubled in bulk.

Ahhh. The punch down.

Oooh. Lookey, lookey. A little bubble is appearing. At this point, I covered the dough, and refrigerated it overnight, since I didn't have time to do the bagels along with Semolina Bread on Friday.

Saturday morning. Bagel dough out of the fridge.

I poured two egg whites into a bowl, whisked with a teaspoon of water, then pushed the glaze through a sieve. Set aside to glaze the bagel later.

I deflated the dough, cut it in half, refrigerated the other half while I made bagels out of the first half, and again I have it blowing bubbles at me.

Bubbles!

I cut the first half of dough into five pieces.

To form the bagels and develop the gluten cloak that will give it its structure, you need to draw up the dough from the bottom, stretching and pinching, until you have a little topknot on top.

Turn the dough over so the topknot is on the bottom and plunge your index finger into the middle.

Wiggle your finger around and place your thumb on the other side. Thusly.

Stretch the dough, and rotate with your thumb and index finger, and pointer and tall man.

Work it.

Work the dough and rotate it.

Until you have a lovely little bagel shape.

Place the bagels on a floured towel and cover with another towel.

Next, we need to boil the bagels. Set a huge pot of water on the stove top and bring to a boil. Have 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon baking soda at hand.

When the water comes to a boil, add in the sugar.

Then add in the baking soda.

Here's the video of the boiling bagels. I know. I know. It's fascinating videography like this that keeps all of you hungering for my blog posts.

Then, scoop out the bagels, one at a time, and let drain.

Ahh. Steam wafting up from my fresh-out-of-the-pot bagels. When will I learn that when I turn my camera sideways for a video, I can't turn it back upright?

Place the bagels on a dry towel, smooth side up. (First side that went into the boiling water.) And watch the lovely steam rise up.

Don't leave on the towels too long, else the bagels will stick. Remove to an oiled and cornbreaded baking sheet. And brush with the egg wash.

Here are my toppings: First, I had sauteed some minced onions in butter. I topped the first bagel with the onions.

Poppy seeds went on another bagel.

Then caraway seeds on another.

And sesame seeds on yet another.

Here are the egg-glazed bagels and their toppings, ready for the oven Oh, that's one plain bagel in front.

Here's the neat part. I've preheated the oven to 500 degrees, put my tray of bagels in, then pulled out the bottom rack where I have a cast iron pan, heated up from the beginning. I poured 1/4 cup water with 4 ice cubes into the pan. Instant STEAM! Close the door. Lower the heat to 450 degrees. And cook for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, cut the oven off, let the bagels sit in there for 5 minutes, then open the door and let the bagels sit for another 5 minutes. Take out and let cool on a rack.

Here's the steam video. Enjoy. While the first batch of bagels was cooking, I started on the other half of bagel dough. Here's the video to show you how I made the bagels. I thought this was cool, since I had the camera hanging around my neck and just kind of did the bagel stuff where I thought the camera might be focusing on. And it worked!

Made 6 bagels this time.

Here are the first five out of the oven and they are GORGEOUS! From top left and continuing clockwise, poppy seed, onion, caraway, plain, and sesame.

Mr. Hawthorne immediately dug into the onion bagel.

Next batch of bagels ready to go into the oven. Since the onion bagel was so good, I made 4 more onion bagels, a caraway bagel, and a caraway/sesame bagel. I wish you could smell the onion bagels. Delicious.

And here's the second set of bagels cooling on the rack.

And all my beautiful and delicious little bagels. Try making your own bagels. It's truly worth the effort.