Bagels

I´m no first time baker when it comes to bagels, but I hadn´t made them in years. I was a little rusty. But it is today´s chosen recipe for Tuesdays with Dorie, by contributing baker Lauren Groveman, and I liked to be able to try another recipe. Our host is Heather of Heather Byte´s where you can find the whole recipe.

There was a time when I used to make sourdough bagels all the time. Once you have an active sourdough it´s not a big deal. But the flavor is outstanding. I kinda want that bagel. Which is the closest to a NY bagel I ever made at home.

I was a bit discouraged by the fact that it specified that these are cakey with an open sponge, not heavy, stretchy or chewy. Well, I happen to believe that what constitutes a bagel is, exclusively, a chewy texture, dense interior and shiny surface.

The dough is very straightforward and has to rest at least 4 hours in the refrigerator.

I baked them more than a day later (they can be baked up to 2 days after mixing the dough) and went on to boil them (to kill the yeast a bit so they don´t rise too much in the oven, hence the dense interior), sprinkle them with seeds and bake them in a very hot oven.

The result was a very uneven shape, totally my fault, but a nice golden crust. I tasted one warm and then had another one later toasted with cream cheese and chives.

Well, this recipe fell short for me. It was more like a bread with a hole, though mine almost dissapeared, the hole that is. It was a time-consuming recipe for a flavor and texture that were not what I want in a bagel. Though when toasted and topped with cream cheese and chives the flavor improves considerably.