I enjoy fresh bagels, especially when they are fresh out of the oven.  I remember going to one of my favorite bagel shops in New York City (Tompkins Square Bagels) that actually boil and bake their bagels there and I would just sit and watch the process.  The process seemed pretty daunting.  I made it once many years ago and they turned out as hard dough balls.

I recently decided to make sourdough bagels and they were AMAZING.  They are chewy and soft, but what I like about them is the fact that they are sourdough.  There do not taste sour.   I use the sourdough fermentation process with these bagels to increase the nutritional content and also to lower the glycemic index. With that being said, these sourdough bagels do take longer to make, but that's the reason they are healthier!  Don't think I'll be buying bagels from my local bagel shop again!

Tips for making sourdough bagels.

This recipe calls for either malt or honey and molasses.  I tried it with both options.  Dried barley malt or the use of honey and molasses is supposed to condition the dough.  Both seem to give the bagels a softer texture, but using honey and molasses results in a darker colored dough.  The dough ends up looking darker than white bread eventhough no whole wheat flour is used.

I make the bagel dough the same as I make sourdough bread with a 45 minute - 1 hour autolyse process.  I then divide the dough into equal pieces by weight and shape them into balls just like pre-shaping a sourdough bolle.

Making the bagel hole.

Prevent sticking.

In order to prevent sticking, use cornmeal on the baking tray.  This will prevent them from sticking to the tray, making them easier to remove when inserting them into a pot of boiling water.

Proofing bagels.

Bagels should be proofed for 12 hours in the refrigerator in order to maximize the health benefits.  When the bagels proof in the refrigerator, the dough relaxes but rises just a little.  In order to get the bagels to rise, leave the bagels out at room temperature for at least 2 hours.  However, if your home is very cool, you may want to allow your bagels to get to room temperature in the oven with just the oven light on.  DO NOT HEAT THE OVEN.

You will notice that the dough will become puffy and "relaxed".  Your bagels will now be ready for boiling.

Use whisked egg white to adhere toppings securely.

It is important to dip your bagels into a bowl of lightly beaten egg whites. before dipping them into the toppings.  I experimented taking them directly out of the boiling water and dipping them into the toppings.  The toppings with no egg white adheres during baking but falls off after being handled.

Accompaniments.

I enjoy bagels as a sandwich or with lox, cream cheese and capers!  When entertaining, a plethora of eye catching fixins are always appealing.

If you've tried this recipe, let me know what you think in the comment section!  Enjoy!