This is the lengthiest recipe I have tested out so far. Three days sounds extremely excruciating, but in reality, it only took around two hours to do, heedless of the proofing time. It is not easy to come across the real deal in the country, so I needed to make bagels myself. I have been putting this off for such a long time for obvious reasons, but during dinner, I suddenly blurted out that I wanted to make them. Mom was equal parts delighted and concerned about my adventurous moxie, but she could not stop talking about the infinite number of recipes she has for authentic bagels. At that moment, I knew there was no turning back from my accidental commitment.
If the Philippines has pandesal, then New York has bagels. There are so many bagel recipes online, but the majority of them make use of shortcuts that forgo some of the most critical steps that give this bread its unique mouthfeel. Unlike the common types of bread available in our local panaderias, bagels have very little yeast. Its interior is denser and chewier, so it absorbs less liquid. This feature allows us to schmear any spread we want on the bread without it turning into a flat soggy mess. This fact makes the whole process more worthwhile.
Recipe
Yields 9 servings
Ingredients
Bagels
Poolish-style sponge
¾ cup or 180mL water
¾ cup or 90 grams bread flour
1/16 teaspoon instant yeast
⅓ teaspoon instant yeast
½ cup or 120mL water, room temperature
3 ½ cups or 445 grams bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons sesame seeds (black, white, or both)
Lox Toppings
Smoked Salmon
Cream cheese
Cucumber slices
Capers
Herbs of choice
Pepper
Procedure
Bagels
To make the Poolish-style sponge, thoroughly mix all its components together in a bowl and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, let the sponge sit out until it has reached room temperature.
In a bowl, mix yeast and water together and let this mixture sit for 3 minutes.
Combine the Poolish-sponge, bread flour, salt, and honey using an electric stand mixer with the dough hook attachment at low speed.
Slowly pour the yeast and water into the dough.
Let it knead on medium speed for 20-25 minutes until a windowpane can be formed without the dough tearing.
Once done, divide the dough into 9 portions (100 grams each) and shape them into spheres.
Evenly position them on a lined baking tray. Let them sit for 15 minutes.
Poke a hole using your thumb and gently expand the hole by turning the bagel around a finger.
Cover the bagels and let them rise for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, transfer the bagels into the refrigerator overnight.
The next day, preheat the oven to 425 °F.
Boil some water in a deep pot.
Use a slotted spoon to slowly drop the bagels in the water and poach them for 1 minute each side.
Place them back onto the tray and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top.
Bake them for 17-20 minutes.
Let them cool down for a few minutes.
Lox Assembly
Use a serrated knife to cut the bagels horizontally in half.
Spread some cream cheese on the face of one of the halves.
Place smoked salmon and cucumber slices on top of the cream cheese.
Sprinkle with some herbs of choice and capers.
Finish the sandwich off with a pinch of pepper.
Serve and enjoy!
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