New York Style Bagels... Peter Reinhart.

Chewy New York Style Bagels... Peter Reinhart. I think it's time for another bread recipe:)... haven't posted one in such a long time. While I will always be partial to my best ever bagel recipe, I have for some time wanted to make a NY-style bagel. You know, the kind that's quite chewy and dense.... and that always benefits from a good schmear of cream cheese. While my best ever bagel recipe is probably considered a West Coast type of bagel(more bread-like and light)... this version I'm posting today is more of an East Coast version(dense and chewy).

When I visited New York last year, I made it a point to stop by a popular bagel shop and try their bagels. I had looked forward to my trip,  especially looked forward to the bagels. So when I walked in the shop, I remember eyeing the basketfuls of bagels and large bins of various cream cheese schmears.... so eager was I to try a bagel! I mean New York bagels are supposed to be the best. But after tasting the bagel, I'll be honest, I was sort of  disappointed. I mean, the bagel was ok,  it just wasn't great. For some reason, I felt they almost needed that moundful of schmear they're known to top the bagels with.... to me the bagels were kind of dry and dense. Maybe that's how they're supposed to be...

This past year I decide to try my hand at making a chewy NY-style bagel....a homemade version. I figured freshly made is always best.  I've enjoyed making Peter Reinhart's bread recipes in the past, so I knew his bagel recipe would probably not disappoint. I decided to go with his less complicated method(he has a few recipes)... as it makes just 6 bakery style bagels.  I did end up making a double batch... to test the difference between the food processor method and the mixer method. Both results were similar in texture and taste.... but I prefer using the food processor, it's much quicker.

Boy, if you ever want a bagel with a chewy crust, this is it! You almost need to tug at the bagel when biting into it, it's that chewy. These bagels are meant for a cream cheese spread... less so for making sandwiches(just because of the pull and tug), though it goes extremely well with a slice of cheese and deli meat. I still love my best ever bagel recipe for making sandwiches with... especially sunny side up egg sandwiches, as it's softer and not as chewy.  But if you are looking for a small batch chewy bagel recipe, this is worth making. The bagels come out looking fantastic, with a golden blistery crust... makes you look like a professional bread baker:). Hope you enjoy...              

You will need: adapted from LA Times

Bagel Dough: makes 6 bagels, but you can easily make a second batch, as I did.

3 1/2 cups (1 pound) unbleached bread flour 

2 teaspoons table salt

3/4 teaspoon instant yeast

1 tablespoon honey(or barley malt syrup)

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

Water Bath:

3+ Quarts of water

1 tsp salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Egg Wash:

1 beaten egg

Toppings:

Poppy, sesame seeds

Directions:

1. USING A FOOD PROCESSOR: In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, 2 teaspoons salt, the yeast, honey and the water. Process for 1 minute until the ingredients form a stiff, coarse ball of dough... you may add a tiny bit of water, if needed. Let the dough rest 5 minutes. Process dough for an additional 50 seconds- 1 minute.

USING A MIXER: In a mixer bowl, add the flour, 2 teaspoons salt, the yeast, honey and the water. Knead on medium speed until the ingredients form a stiff, coarse ball of dough, about 3 minutes....you may add a tiny bit of water, if needed. Let the dough rest 5 minutes. Knead on medium speed for an additional 3 minutes...

Note: If the dough seems too soft or too tacky, sprinkle over just a bit of flour as needed. I didn't need to add any additional flour.

2. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and  cover with plastic wrap. Place bowl in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to several hours. I left mine for 2 hours in the fridge.

Note: The bagels must be shaped before proofing overnight.

3. Line a baking sheet with lightly greased parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Divide it into 6 equal pieces. 

5. Form each piece into a loose, round ball. 

With a cupped hand, roll each piece of dough on a clean, dry work surface... do not use any flour on the surface.  You can wipe the surface with a drop or two of water if the dough slides around and won't ball up... the slight amount of moisture will give you the necessary "bite" for the dough to form a ball. 

6. Roll each dough ball into a "rope" 8 to 10 inches long. From bagels.

Moisten the work surface ever so slightly if needed. Slightly taper the rope at the ends so that they are thinner than the middle. Place one end of the dough between your thumb and forefinger. Wrap the rope around your hand until the ends overlap in your palm by about 2 inches. Squeeze the overlapping ends together. Press the joined ends into the work surface and roll them back and forth a few times until sealed.

7. Remove the dough from your hand and squeeze as necessary to even out the thickness of the dough. You should have a 2 inch hole in the center. 

8. Place the bagel on parchment paper lined pan. Repeat process until all bagels are done. Placed oiled plastic wrap over bagels and place in the refrigerator overnight.

Remove the bagels from the refrigerator 90-100 minutes before you plan to bake them. 

• Pre-heat oven to 500 degs F for 30 minutes

1. Ten or 15 minutes before baking(oven has pre-heated for at least 15 minutes), fill a large stockpot with 3 quarts of water, making sure the water is at least 4 inches deep. Cover pot with a lid, and slowly bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Simmer with the lid on.

Note: Test the bagels to see if they are ready for boiling by placing one in a bowl of cold water. If it sinks and doesn't float to the surface, then return it to the sheet and wait about 15 minutes and then test it again. When one bagel passes the float test, they are ready for the pot. I didn't bother with this, since I bake bagels all the time, and knew my bagels were puffed enough to float... you can tell they are lighter in the hand. But if you are new to bagels, it's best to do the float test. 

2. Gently lift each bagel and place it in the simmering water. Add 2 more bagels, or as many as will comfortably fit in the pot, but don't overcrowd. I do 3 at a time. 

3. Poach bagel for 1 minute, then flip each bagel over and poach for an extra 30 seconds. 

4. Remove each bagel using the slotted spoon, and place it on the lined baking sheet. Brush bagel with egg wash and sprinkle any toppings of choice. Repeat until all the bagels have been poached, egg washed and topped. 

5. Reduce the heat to 450 degrees F. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 8 minutes. Rotate sheet and bake for an additional 8 minutes or until golden brown. 

Note: You may want to check the underside of the bagels half way through baking... if they are getting too dark, then place another sheet under the baking sheet and continue baking for the last 8 minutes. I didn't bother with this. 

6. Remove bagels from oven and transfer them to a rack. Cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. 

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Bagel Dough Revisited...Grilled Pizza!

Bagel Dough Revisted...Grilled Pizza. I love grilled pizza. It has become one of my favorites summer meals. I've been meaning to share this with you for some time now. I think it's wonderful to be able to make your own pizza at home ...and grilling the pizza is a great alternative to using the oven. The grill is a great tool to use, especially when you want to keep the heat out of the kitchen during the hot summer months. You also get this " wood-fired" cripsy pizza crust that is quite different from an oven baked pizza. I have tried many pizza dough recipes. Many were good. But it was the bagel dough recipe that was a winner for me....at least so far:). I never intended to use the bagel dough to make grilled pizzas, but one day, when I was making bagels, I decided to keep some dough to make a quick lunch. I immediately thought of making a grilled pizza using a bit of the bagel dough. I did...and we loved it.

I remember when I first started making grilled pizzas. I was scared of having my pizza dough fall through the cracks or stick to the grill. I was hesitant at first to even attempt it. But one day, I decided to make it. I think I might have used a pita bread dough recipe to make the grilled pizzas. Since then, I have gained a bit of confidence and have tried making different kinds of pizza doughs....just to vary it up a bit. The bagel dough recipe really has become a favorite as it is a wonderful dough to work with....and tastes great. You can easily add some Italian dried herbs to the dough, if you like.

When making the grilled pizza, it is good to keep in mind that both sides of the dough need to be oiled well. This ensures that your pizza won't stick and that it gets a nice crispy texture. It is equally important to pre-heat your grill on med/high before placing the dough on the grill. I like to stretch out the dough pretty thin. This way the crust cooks quicker. Once the dough forms surface bubbles, you can then flip it over on the second side and lower the heat. It is only then that you add the sauce/seasoned oil/pesto/etc. and the toppings. I ended up using some veggies and some cheese on this one, but you can easily be creative with sauces and toppings. Just make sure you do not overload the pizzas with too many toppings. This is just a basic recipe for the pizza dough ...so be creative with toppings. Hope you enjoy....

Tip: You will need to have all the toppings ready and in close proximity.. grilling the dough and topping the pizza requires you to work quickly. You can take the pizza dough off the grill to add the toppings and then place it back on the grill. This will help your dough not to burn. If need be, always adjust heat.

The dough can be refrigerated overnight for even better flavor.

You will need: Bagel Dough ~ You can use the bagel recipe to make 12 bagels and 2 pizzas(8-10inch) or use the whole dough to make pizzas. If I would make the whole batch, I would freeze some dough for use on another day.

6 2/3 -7 cups bread flour

1 TBS table salt

1 TBS instant yeast

2 TBS sugar

1 TBS oil

2 1/4 cups warm water(110˚-115˚)

Directions:

Combine flour, salt and yeast in a mixer bowl. Add sugar and oil to the water and pour over the dry ingredients. Knead well for about 7-8 minutes using the kneading attachment on your mixer. You should use the med/low speed. The dough should cling only to the bottom of the mixer bowl and not the sides. Form into a ball and put into an oiled bowl turning once to coat dough. Cover with plastic and let rise one hour or until doubled.

At this point, you can proceed to do some bagels and reserve some dough for the pizza..like I did. Or, you can divide dough in pizza size pieces and wrap well and freeze for later use(which I've done before). If you want to freeze the dough, you will need to thoroughly defrost and bring to room temperature before making pizzas. Allow enough time to defrost and get to room temp.

Making Pizzas:

Preheat grill to MED/HIGH.

After the dough has doubled in size, take a grapefruit size piece( or whatever size you like) and roll it out(on oiled surface) to about 10 inches....or stretch it out with your hands. Drizzle oil on top of dough as well. Make sure the bottom and the top of the dough are oiled...this ensures that the dough does not stick on the grill.(I haven't had a problem with my pizzas sticking...)

Oil the grill and place pizza dough on hot grill. Cook for 1 minute or so ...or until you see grill marks when you peek under the dough. You should see the top of the dough puffing and making bubbles. Lower heat to medium and flip the pizza dough on second side. Brush with seasoned olive oil(add some minced garlic to the oil along with some Italian spices),or brush with olive oil and sprinkle some smoked paprika and your favorite herbs. You can also use some pesto, chopped sundried tomatoes, pasta sauce, etc. Add toppings and cheese.

Lower heat, if needed so that you do not burn the underside. Sprinkle with fresh basil/arugula and/or chile flakes and/or parmesan...

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Mini Pretzel Bites,Pizza Swirls,Mini Bagel Dogs, and Parmesan Cheese Swirls...All made out of one Dough!

Mini Pretzel Bites, Pizza Swirls, Mini Bagel Dogs, and Parmesan Cheese Swirls...All made out of one Dough!
Here we go, again...working with bread dough:). This was actually really fun. Seriously. It was fun to come up with different ideas for all the bagel dough I made. I love using ingredients that I have around the house...its always more challenging. It saves you money, as well as a trip to the store. For the filling ingredients, I used sausages instead of hot dogs, leftover homemade spaghetti meat sauce, and cheddar cheese instead of mozzarella, etc...
My inspiration for this post was a memory of eating bagel dogs with my oldest brother. He was the one who actually introduced me to the BAGEL DOG. Have you ever had a bagel dog? Well, it took a visit to the to the mall one day, to make me appreciate what he liked about them. I figured bread and a hot dog together...no big deal. I've had that before. But a bagel dog...now, I've never had that before. The hot dog(more like a polish sausage), encased in chewy bagel bread, with a bit of mustard on the side, was just mmm,mmmm, good! It was only after I had eaten my bagel dog, that I understood why my brother liked them so much. That bagel dog was something else...! Sweet, sweet memories... Ok, so you have to like hot dogs/sausages to appreciate where I am coming from. I know many girls wouldn't dream of enjoying a bagel dog as much as I do. But, you know, I am thankful I grew up with plenty of brothers who broadened my outlook on things:)....
But, I haven't had a bagel dog in a VERY LONG time. I don't know if they have them at the malls anymore. I just know they don't have them where I live... and I wanted a bagel dog. I thought, why not...I could make my own. I searched through my freezer and found NO hot dogs. But I did have some sausages...that would work , wouldn't it? I decided to make do with what I had. I realized after making 2 regular-size sausage dogs, that they were going to be too much. I mean, I could have eaten a whole one ...but knew I shouldn't. So I changed my plan, and made them into smaller bites. I think that was much better:). Since I had a lot of dough left, I decided to do other things with it....pizza swirls, pretzel bites, and some Parmesan/ham swirls. By the way, I used my Best-Ever Bagels dough for all of these recipes. Please click on the link to see my original post and then proceed to make one or all of the 4 recipes. Actually, if you have a different idea you would like to try, feel free. These are just ideas... I used what I had on hand. I like the fact that the bagel recipe makes quite a lot of dough. This gives you enough dough to make quite a few recipes. You can freeze these goodies ...just re-heat them in the oven. It crisps them up nicely....they are just wonderful! What was my absolute favorite?...why, the bagel dog, of course! The pizza swirl came in at a close second:)...Kids will love the pizza swirls. Put them on a stick and they will be really happy...well, most kids will:) Hope you enjoy...

For the Mini Pretzel Bites:

Take an orange size chunk (or smaller) of dough and roll it in a thin round log/strip.

Using the kitchen shears, cut about 1 inch chunks.

Let rise for about 20 minutes. Boil the pretzel pieces for about 1 minute in simmering water(with baking soda/sugar...check out the post on the bagels.)just like you would boil the bagels.

Brush with beaten egg.

Bake at 400 deg for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Eat them plain...or dip in a honey mustard sauce, plain mustard, marinara sauce, balsamic/olive oil/parmesan dip, cheese sauce, etc.

FOR THE PIZZA SWIRLS:
Take a chunk of dough and roll into a rectangular shape. Spread a layer of pasta sauce onto the dough.
I had some meat sauce, so that is what I used. But feel free to use regular pizza/pasta sauce. If your sauce is on the thinner side, you can cook it down some to thicken a bit.

Sprinkle some chopped Canadian bacon/ham along with some cheese. I ran out of mozzarella and had to use some Colby/Cheddar cheese.Roll the dough jelly roll style and pinch the end.

Cut in 1-1/2 inch slices(or thereabouts) and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. You can brush the sides of the dough with some beaten egg if you like. I didn't...but it will give it some nice golden color.

Bake in a preheated 400 deg oven for 10-12 minutes.Some cheese/sauce will ooze out. Just let it cool down a bit.

FOR THE PARMESAN HAM AND JALAPENO SWIRLS:

Basically the same idea as above(pizza swirls), except you don't use any sauce. I substituted some Parmesan cheese and added some diced pickled jalapenos.This was more "plain" flavored. You can definitely be creative...try adding some Alfredo sauce with a bit of roasted garlic, etc...

FOR THE BAGEL DOG/SAUSAGE ROLLS:

You will need some hot dogs... or in my case, some sausage. I didn't have any hot dogs, so I used what I had. The casing from the sausage will make you pull at it a bit, unlike a regular hot dog... but, the flavor was incredible!

Cut sausage into 1 inch(or so) slices. Set aside.

Take a chunk of bread dough and roll into a rectangle. Using a 2-2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter, cut out circles.

Wrap the dough around the sausage slice and pinch the dough to encase the sausage. Make sure it is completely closed/pinched(Otherwise it will open as you boil them). Then gently form the dough around the sausage piece....basically to get the dough evenly distributed around the sausage.

Let it rise for 20-25 minutes. Boil as you would bagels. See my bagel recipe post.

Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or leave plain.

Bake in a pre-heated 375 oven for 10-12 minutes or until nicely golden brown.

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Bagel Crostini...When You Are In A Pinch

Bagel Crostini...When you are in a pinch, and you need some sort of cracker/bread for a dip, bagel crostinis come in very handy. I thought I would share this rather quick and easy recipe for bagel crostini. Actually, it is not much of a recipe at all. Just plain old toasted bagel bites. But, it comes in rather handy when you have a dip of some sort and need some bread to go alongside. It was that way with me, when I recently made the Ajvar spread. I didn't have any baguettes, nor any crackers(though I felt I needed something more substantial than crackers). I also did not want to go to the store to buy the crostini. So, I searched through my freezer... a thought crossed my mind when I spotted a couple of bagels. Why not make bagel crostini?...and so I did. I was surprised how many slices I got out of just one bagel...so, this is economical as well. For this post, I left my bagel slices plain. Feel free to brush the bagel slices with some melted butter/oil and add any seasoning you like, rub some garlic on the slices or sprinkle some Parmesan cheese. They are great as a base for bruschetta, for baked artichoke dip, spinach dip, mini pizza bites, etc.... I hope you will enjoy this rather quick tip...it saved me from going to the store:)

You will need:

1 large bagel

dried herb seasoning(Italian would be good)

garlic(optional)

Parmesan, shredded(optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 deg. Cut bagel in half.

Start cutting slices from each half. You will notice that not all the slices will be perfect circles. That is ok...they still taste great.Just try to cut the slices the same thickness...this will ensure that the slices will toast at the same time. If some slices are thinner they will toast earlier than others. And, you have to take them out sooner so that they won't burn.

You can, at this point, brush the bagel slices with some melted butter and add seasoning/Parmesan cheese... if you like. Place the slices on a cookie sheet. Do not overlap. Bake until golden brown. I forgot to time mine(sorry)...but I would guess it would be anywhere from 5 -8 minutes. Be careful not to over bake...they can easily burn towards the end. It is better to have them lightly toasted than burned. Keep an eye on them.

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Whole Grain Bagels

 

 

Whole Grain Bagels....This past week I ran out of bagels. I most always have some on hand in my freezer. But knowing that company was coming, I decided to make a batch of my homemade bagels.

As I was making them, a thought crossed my mind, why not make some whole grain bagels? Don't get me wrong, I love my homemade bagels. But ever since I made the whole grain sandwich bread(we just love it!), I have thought about making other breads using the 10 grain cereal mix.

I began my attempt at making the whole grain bagels using the same method from the sandwich bread recipe. I adjusted some ingredients and boiled the bagels as in my Best-Ever Bagel recipe. The result was wonderful...and I was quite pleased. They were nice and moist inside... they weren't dense at all. I think it would be wonderful to vary the bread basket a bit with these whole grain bagels. There's always one or two people who prefer a wholesome bagel. Hope you enjoy...

You will need:

2 1/2 - 3 cups bread flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 tsps instant yeast

3 TBS honey

3 TBS butter, melted

1 cup 10 grain hot cereal mix

2 cups boiling water

1/2 cup unsalted roasted sunflower seeds

Topping:

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup oats

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, add boiling water to the hot cereal and stir to mix.
2. Stir every so often until it resembles a porridge and is just warm(110 deg).
It will be anywhere from 10-20 minutes depending how cool/warm your house is.
3. Stir in melted butter and honey.
4. Combine 2 1/2 cups of the bread flour, whole wheat flour, yeast and salt in your mixer bowl. Use the dough hook.
5. On low speed, add the cereal mixture and mix about 2 minutes.
6. Increase the speed to med-low and knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic....about 6-8 more minutes. Depending how humid the environment is, you might need to add a bit more flour so that the dough doesn't stick to the sides of the bowl...start with 1 Tablespoon at a time. The dough should not be too sticky or soft.... Add the seeds at the last minute or so of the kneading process.

7. Turn the dough on a lightly floured board and knead by hand to form a smooth ball.
8. Place the dough in a large oiled bowl and cover with a greased plastic.
9. Let rise in a warm place. I always like to turn on the oven for about a minute(or so) to make a cozy warm environment for the dough to rise in.
10. Let rise till doubled in size about 1 hour. Do not punch dough down and deflate. I noticed that it won't rise as much if you do this.
11. Take a lemon size chunk of risen dough and form into a ball.
12. Poke hole in the middle and stretch out a bit (in the form of a bagel). Make sure the hole is at least the size of a 25cent coin piece ...this way you can still see the hole after it has risen.
13. Let rise 20-25 minutes....they should look puffed.

14. In a large pot, boil about 6-8 cups of water and add 5 tsp baking soda along with 2 TBS sugar.
15. Bring to boil and boil 2- 3 bagels at a time for about a minute on the top side of the bagel. The bagels should rise to the top...if they don't, the bagels have not risen enough.

I usually do not turn the bagel to boil on the underside as I noticed that it can get too soggy.
16.  Lift each bagel with a slotted spatula and drain all the water.
17. Place on an oiled cookie sheet (bottom side down) or on a parchment lined cookie sheet that has been oiled ( I prefer the parchment as it makes the cleaning easier)....the oil makes the bottom crispier. 18. Brush the bagels with a beaten egg and sprinkle with oats( most times I skip the oats)

.

19. Preheat oven to 375 deg F, place in middle rack, and bake for about 18-20 minutes or until nicely browned.
20. Cool and freeze....or toast and enjoy a nice warm bagel!

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