These bagels are from "Baking with Julia". I've done them often with great results.
* Exported from MasterCook II *
Bagels
Recipe By : Lauren Groveman, from Baking With Julia
Serving Size : 10 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Breads Breakfast Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter -- melted
2 1/4 Tsp Active Dry Yeast
2 1/4 C Tepid Water -- 80°-90°
2 Tbsp Sugar
3 Tbsp Shortening
1 Tbsp Salt
2 Tsp Pepper -- approx
6 C Bread Flour -- approx
Brush the inside of a large (8 quart) bowl with some of the melted butter; set aside. Reserve the remaining melted butter for coating the top of the dough.
MIXING & KNEADING: Whisk the yeast into 1/4 cup of the tepid water. Add a pinch of sugar and let the mixture rest until the yeast has dissolved and is creamy. Pour the remaining 2 cups of water into a large bowl and add the shortening. Add the yeast mixture along with 2 tablespoons sugar, the
salt, and the black pepper, if your using it, and stir with a wooden spoon to mix. Stirring vigorously with the wooden spoon, add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stopping when you have a soft, sticky dough that is difficult to stir. (You will probably use almost 6 cups of flour, but the dough will still be soft and sticky--and that's just the way it's supposed to be) Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for 5 to 6
minutes, until it is smooth and elastic. Add additional flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to your hands and the work surface.
(To make the dough in a mixer, proof the yeast in 1/4 cup of the water in the mixer's bowl. Fit the machine with the dough hook and add the remaining 2 cups of water, the sugar, shortening, salt and the pepper, if using it; mix on low to blend. With the machine still on low, gradually add 5 1/2 to 6 cups of flour, mixing for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the ingredients are blended. Increase mixer speed to medium and knead for about 6 minutes, adding additional flour by the tablespoon until the dough is smooth and elastic. At this point, the dough may still be slightly sticky and it may not clean the sides and bottom of the bowl completely--that's OK.)
RISE: Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to the buttered mixing bowl. Brush the top of the dough with a little melted butter, cover the
bowl with buttered plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise at room temperature for about 1 hour, or until it doubles in bulk.
CHILLING THE DOUGH: Deflate the dough, cover as before, and refrigerate for 4 hours to overnight, or, if well wrapped, up to 2 days.
When you're ready to make the bagels, position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven & preheat the oven to 500°. If the bagels are to bake on a stone, preheat the stone too and generously dust a peel with cornmeal. If they will bake on baking sheets, brush the sheets with oil and dust them with cornmeal. For added flavor use one or all
of the suggested topping ingredients in combination with the cornmeal to dust the peel or the sheets. (To create steam in the oven, you'll be tossing ice cubes and water onto the oven floor. If you don't think your oven floor is up to this--it can be tricky with a gas oven--put a
heavy skillet or roasting pan on the oven floor and preheat it as well.)
While the oven preheats, fill a stock pot with water and bring the water to a rapid boil.
Line 2 baking sheets or trays with kitchen towels. Rub flour into 1 of the towels and place both sheets close to your work surface.
SHAPING THE DOUGH: Deflate the dough and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into half; cover & chill one piece of the dough while your work with the other. Cut the dough into 5 equal pieces; work with 1 piece and cover the remaining pieces with a towel.
To form a bagel and develop the gluten cloak that will give it its structure, draw up the dough from the bottom, stretch it, and pinch it at the top. Keep pulling the dough up and pinching it until you have a perfectly round, tightly packed ball of dough with a little topknot or pleat at the top. Turn the dough over so that the knot is against the work surface and plunge your index finger into the center of the dough. Wiggle your finger around in the hole to stretch it, then lift the bagel, hook it over the thumb of one hand and the index finger of the other and start rotating the dough, circling your thumb and finger and elongating the hole to a diameter of 2 to 2 1/2 inches. (At this
point, the dough will look more like a piece in a ringtoss game than a bagel, but it will soon boil to bagelhood.) Put the bagel on the baking sheet with the floured towel, and cover with another towel. Shape the remaining 4 pieces of dough into bagels. (You'll shape the refrigerated dough after you've completed boiling and baking these bagels.)
THE WATER BATH: Add 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon baking soda to the boiling water. With a large slotted skimming spoon or slotted spatula,
lower the bagels, one at a time, into the boiling water. Don't crowd them--the bagels should swim around in the water without touching one another; it's better to boil them in batches than to cram them into the pot all at one time. The bagels will sink to the bottom of the pot when you put them in, then rise to the top. Once the bagels have surfaced, boil for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side, flipping them over gently with the skimmer. Remove the bagels, shaking the skimmer over the stock pot to get rid of some of the excess water, and put them on the baking sheet with the unfloured towel, keeping the smoothest side of the bagel up.
(Do not discard the water--you'll use it to boil the dough that is still
refrigerated.)
Keeping the smoothes sides up, transfer the bagels to the peel or prepared baking sheet. (Work quickly, because the wet bagels have a tendency to stick to the towel.)
GLAZE AND TOPPINGS: Whisk 2 large egg whites & 1 teaspoon cold water until the whites are broken up, then push through a sieve and brush each
bagel with the glaze. Try not to let the glaze drip onto the baking sheet or peel, it will glue down the bagels. DOn't worry if the bagels
look wrinkled--they will smooth out in the oven. Brush with another coat of glaze and if your using a topping, sprinkle it or them over the bagels now. (Suggestions: Sesame, Poppy or caraway seeds; kosher or sea salt; minced onions sauted in oil; dried garlic or onions softened in hot water.)
BAKING THE BAGELS: Put four ice cubes in a 1 pint measuring cup and add 1/4 cup cold water. Put the bagels in the oven and immediately toss the
ice cubes and water onto the oven floor (or into the hot pan). Quickly close the oven door to capture the steam produced by the ice, turn the
oven temperature down to 450°F, & bake the bagels for 25 minutes. Turn off the oven & let the bagels remain in the oven for 5 more minutes.
Open the door and leave the bagels in the oven for another 5 minutes. Transfer the bagels to a rack and cool. If you've used a baking stone, sweep the excess cornmeal from the stone. Before baking the next batch, be certain to bring the oven temp back up to 500°F.
STORING: Cooled bagels can be kept for a day in a paper bag, for longer pack in plastic bags and freeze up to 1 month. Thaw, still wrapped at
room temp.
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With thanks to Desert Jean.
