Victory! (mostly)
Now with more bagely flavor
It’s all bagels, all the time here at happygoodluck. Here’s what a little recipe from Cooks Illustrated can do for you.
I made my own high gluten flour by useing 4 cups of bread flour, and enhancing it with 8 teaspoons of gluten. I also added about a tablespoon of molasses in place of the Malt Barley Syrup. I actually made sure I did not kill the yeast by using too warm water, and let the KitchenAid do it’s job of kneading. I also let them sit overnight in the ‘fridge. I think this is the part they call proofing the dough. (Jonelle? Julie?)
These bagels are 100 times better than my first batch. My only complaint is that you can’t double the recipe.
This is the most success I’ve ever had making any type of bread product. Yay!
Today is a holiday and I’ve had an excellent 4-day weekend, despite the fact that my hair is ruined and I hate my new haircut.
February 16th, 2009 at 11:50 pm
They look fantastic, way to go! Sexay bagels.
I suck at bread and bread products. Even the dogs wouldn’t eat the last loaf I made.
February 17th, 2009 at 12:23 am
Those look fabulous!!!! You have got it all over me in the bread department. I’ve only made bread a few times. I’m a cookie/dessert baker. My mom is all about the bread. She makes her own starter that she has to keep “fed”! I have no idea about that stuff.
March 2nd, 2009 at 12:52 pm
YUM! Those look great. I want some.
Proofing is what you do when you check that your yeast is active. You mix the yeast with some warm water (and sweetener to feed the yeast, sometimes) and then let it sit for 5-10 minutes. If it gets bubbly, it’s active, if not, it’s not. Letting the dough sit overnight does do various things to it, but I’m not sure what they are. And there is a recipe for honey lemon whole wheat bread I make where you knead it then plop it into loaf pans and let it rise overnight in the fridge. Bread is really pretty forgiving. It rises fast in a warm place, and slower in a cold place. So if you are in a hurry, you stick it in your oven with the oven light on, and if you have to go somewhere, you put it into the fridge.
March 3rd, 2009 at 5:26 pm
If the recipe says 12 to 18 hours in the fridge, how long would you do it in the oven if you’re in a hurry? How do you know? Or do you just test it somehow?
March 9th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
I would take them out of the fridge while the oven was preheating, and then cook them for however long the recipe says to cook them. Maybe a minute or two more.