vie a la table

Before I type another word, I want to thank Wil and Kris for encouraging and allowing me to author some of the material on their site.  Since this blog isn’t about me, really, I won’t bore you with an autobiographical paragraph.  I do think it’s important to note at least one thing: I’ve never been to culinary school or been properly trained, though when my pocketbook can afford it, it’s something I plan to do.  I do, however, know a thing or two about cooking, baking and nutrition.  I grew up baking breads, pastries and cereals at home with my mother, from whom I have learned so much.  I love the freedom, spontaneity and excitement of cooking, the joy, satisfaction and comfort that can only be achieved through baking, and the adventure that life becomes when I express myself through creative efforts in the kitchen.   I’m excited to share some of the adventures with you, and I hope that you will find not just recipes, but the inspiration to explore your own creativity with a renewed sense of adventure.

That being said, I want to share with you my latest discovery: no, not how many layers of clothing I can wear at once in my teeny, freezing apartment in chilly Indianapolis.  Actually, my discovery concerns my current obsession: bagels.  This obsession has resulted in my having visited the same bagel deli on a weekly basis for about three months.  But, since it’s become somewhat treacherous outside, I don’t relish the thought of trekking a few miles to taste the deliciousness of Broad Ripple Bagel Deli.  Being from Pennsylvania, I have pretty high standards for my bagels: frozen Lenders just doesn’t cut it.  I’m suspicious of Midwestern bagels shops (and most Midwestern things).  But, having found one that is actually quite good, I was depressed at not being able to make it to Broad Ripple Bagel this past weekend for my fix.  I’m of the “why buy it when I can make it?” sort, so I gathered a few more blankets, some trusted cookbooks and my laptop and set out to find the best, homemade bagel recipe I could.  My discovery? That making bagels is not that difficult.  I’d been living under the assumption that making bagels was difficult, something that just wasn’t done.  Plus, I hear cries of “Hours in the kitchen!” and “Boiling AND baking? Bah!!” Let me assure you that, after one bite of a homemade bagel, fresh out of the oven with a smear of cream cheese, you will not, not, not regret the boiling, baking, and time spent in your kitchen.  Trust me.  I had barely swallowed the last chewy bit of my first bagel when I was looking at the clock, calculating how many hours (minutes?) until I could unashamedly have my second.

I’ve tried two bagels recipes, and liked this one best because it requires no proofing in the refrigerator overnight.  I found this recipe via The Wednesday Chef, but tweaked it a little bit, and added the boiling process.  Sweet Savory Café and Bakery serves un-boiled bagels, but in a previous making at this recipe, I found that while un-boiled bagels are good, they’re not bagels.   They’re simply rolls with a hole in the center.  To me, a bagel is chewy, dense, and has that flavor that only comes with the boiling process.  If you wish to eliminate the boiling process, feel free, but I’ll issue the warning that you may be disappointed.

Bagels – adapted from Sweet Savory Café & Bakery
Makes 12 large or 18 mini bagels

For the dough:
5 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon canola oil
7-8 cups unbleached all purpose or bread flour
2 ¼ teaspoons yeast (or one packet)
1 teaspoon salt

To boil:
1 tablespoon barley malt syrup or dark honey (I used very dark, raw honey)
1 tablespoon baking soda

To top:
1 egg, beaten
Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, kosher salt, dehydrated onions or turbinado sugar

1.  Add the yeast to ½ cup warm water; add a pinch of sugar or a drop of honey, and stir to combine.  Wait about five minutes to allow the yeast to activate and become slightly foamy. Combine 3 cups of the flour, the sugar, and the canola oil in your food processor fitted with the dough blade or stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.  (If you have both, I would probably use the stand mixer, because this does become quite a bit of dough, and even though my food processor is one of my very favorite things, it wasn’t quite big enough to handle all of the bulk. By the end, I had to knead by hand.)  With the machine on, dribble in the yeast mixture.  Add the salt, then alternate adding 4 more cups of flour and 2 more cups of slightly warm water.  Allow the dough to come together, and to spin around the processor for about a 30 seconds.  Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead by hand.  If it is very sticky, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until it no longer sticks to your hand.  Knead for about 8-10 minutes, then form the dough into a ball.  Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl (your biggest!) and cover loosely with plastic wrap.  The ideal spot for your dough to rise is a warm, non-drafty spot in your kitchen.  Allow the dough to rise until it is at least doubled in bulk, about one hour.  The time necessary may vary, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.  Here in Frigidville, it took about 1 ½ hours.

2.  When the dough is doubled in volume, punch it down and divide it into 12 or 18 equal portions.  There are a couple of methods for forming the bagels: either roll each piece out to an acceptable length (depending on your portion size) and pinch the ends together to form the circle OR poke your thumb through the center and move it in a circular motion until the hole is at least 1 ½ – 2 inches in diameter.   (I tried both methods, but found that the easiest for me is the poke-through method.) When you’ve got all your bagels “holed,” prepare 2 baking sheets by spraying with non-stick spray and a generous sprinkling of cornmeal to prevent sticking.  Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Allow the bagels to rest for at least 10 minutes.

3.  Fill your largest pot about halfway with water.  Bring to a boil, then add the malt syrup or dark honey or nothing at all.   Add the baking soda and watch the fizz. (I am, for some reason, always amazed by baking soda.)  Have a skimmer or a slotted spoon (I found my skimmer to be most useful here) on hand.  Drop each bagel into the boiling water (Don’t crowd them: one at a time if making large bagels, two at once if making small bagels).  Allow the bagels to boil for up to 1 minute per side.  The more you boil, the chewier the outer crust will be.  I boiled for 1 minute total, 30 seconds per side.  Remove to your baking sheets.

4.  Beat the egg, and brush it on top of all your bagels.  Top with the aforementioned toppings, or, nothing at all.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.  If your oven bakes unevenly (like mine) then rotate your pans 180 degrees halfway through.  Cool on a wire rack, for 10-15 minutes, or until you absolutely can’t wait any longer.

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