Bagels

There are two different King Arthur Flour bagel recipes - one in the bakers companion, and one on their website. I must say, the one in the companion, was kind of disappointing.

While I can attribute some of the lack of success to a lack of a kitchen aid with a dough hook (but I'm working on that one!), I think that the starter in the second recipe is really what makes that good bagel taste and texture. I'd like to try it again with that recipe on hand - after I obtain the kitchen aid for assistance.

The recipe itself was pretty easy, and that's saying a lot, because bread making is hard! If you are not familiar with the tedious delicate process yeast requires, it can often be disheartening to end up with many deflated bread items.

I avoid this disappointment by proofing my yeast every time. I don't know if this too may have altered the recipe. I doubt it, but its an insurance policy to a ton of good, and often times expensive ingredients.

In this recipe, I mixed 1/4 cup of warm water with my 1 Tablespoon of active dry yeast and slowly added a tablespoon of brown sugar - three items already within the recipe itself. The sugar is "food" for the yeast, and if the water temperature is just right then in five to ten minutes the bowl will be foamy and frothy on top, smelling exactly like bread.

In fact, if you watch it, after a few minutes, the yeast begins to POP! You can kind of see it flour in the bowl.

So it requires a double rise - but just slightly, not to doubling, followed by a quick boil and then a bake.

My bagels came out ugly, but pretty good tasting for a first try. I can say it was not exactly the perfect recipe I was looking for, and they were slightly more dense then I would have liked. I also noticed this morning, that even while packaged, the next morning they just aren't as good. This recipe is definitely something that would be great for a Sunday brunch or family holiday breakfast where they can be served nearly immediately after coming out of the oven.