Each week I will be making a bread recipe from Peter Reinhart’s wonderful book, The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread. The third recipe in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge was Bagels!
I was so excited to get to this recipe in the book. I love bagels and I've always wanted to try my hand a making them. I won't lie; so far this has been the most labour intensive recipe and the first one that I'm not happy with. I followed the recipe completely but for some reason only half my bagels turned out well. The other half came out flat. I'm not sure where I went wrong. It seems strange that the same dough produces different individual results.The bagels tasted great, even the flat ones. I boiled them for a total of 3 minutes each to give them a chewier texture. I topped them with a little kosher salt, poppy seeds and sesame seeds.
I'd appreciate any advice you may have on how to avoid the flat bagels. Let me know your tips to get the perfect shape.
Be sure to check out what the other challenge participants have done.
Next week: Brioche!
Your bagels look fabulous! I've always wanted to try bagel making too. I think you BBA gals are going to inspire me to attempt this feat. That's weird that some bagels turned out flat, but hey, at least they all tasted fabulous!!
ReplyDeletePass the cream cheese. Delicious looking, perfectly made bagels.
ReplyDeleteWhat perfect and beautiful bagels!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Rosa
I really admire that you are doing this. I thought about making bagels one time but never got the courage to give them a try. Did make soft pretzels once a long time ago. I'd sampled them on the streets in New York.
ReplyDeleteI like the seeds on them. Very pretty.
Sam
i've been interested in making my own bagels. yours are beautiful!
ReplyDeletePrefect and beautiful Bagels!
ReplyDeleteGreat job on the bagels. They look delicious. Just like the ones at Einstein!
ReplyDeleteWow- how professional looking! A lot of the homemade bagels Ive seen have been a bit sad, but yours look incredible!
ReplyDeletemmm.... gorgeous bagels!
ReplyDeleteThey look absolutely great. And, I have made bagels often but I have no idea how to avoid the flat ones. The more I make them, the fewer flat ones I get. One thing we did change is make sure that we wait for the water to heat up again in between boiling batches.
ReplyDeleteI love homemade bagels. You are rocking this homemade bread stuff. I love all of your posts!
ReplyDeleteThey look beautiful! I love how golden brown they got. Mine never got that brown...I think I made them too big: http://www.atigerinthekitchen.com/2009/06/bagels.html
ReplyDeleteDid your flat ones taste as good?
Well they look perfect from here, just in time too - I am all out of mine. Can I have one of yours? :)
ReplyDeleteLooks awesome! I love your photos...the bagels look really delicious!
ReplyDeleteYour bagels look great.
ReplyDeleteIf you ever figure out why the flat ones let me know, as I had flat ones too.
Susie
Your bagels look beautiful!!! Weird about the flat ones!
ReplyDeleteWere the flat ones the second batch you cooked or something like that? I've heard they can flatten if the water isn't hot enough, so I'm thinking a later batch may have gone into colder water... I don't know, just a theory!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for brioche!
Your bagels look great!
ReplyDeleteI didn't have a pot large large enough so I was boiling them one at a time. I noticed that the ones that were boiled first flattened out before they were baked and didn't rise as much in the oven. I then boiled three small pots of water so I could at least boil three at a time, and the bagels turned out much better. Next time I am going to buy a wider pot!
Deb
http://www.italianfoodforever.com
I loved making the bagels. Yours look great. Makes me want one!! Now to Brioche!
ReplyDeleteThey turned out so beautiful. I still haven't made my bagels for the challenge. I should start soon. :)
ReplyDeleteYour bagels look wonderful! I have no idea why some of them turned flat. No idea at all.
ReplyDeleteWow, they look perfect, you did a great job!!
ReplyDeleteWow! Your bagels are perfectly lovely! makes me want to grab one. Kudos to you for a great job!
ReplyDeleteD-girl...you make me want to BE a bagel...eat me!
ReplyDeleteWhenever I enjoy a bagel, it HAS to have poppy seeds. So glad that you did that :)
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised that half of them didn't turn out well. I've yet to see something you make that wasn't 1000 times awesome :)
These look so incredible. There really seems to be nothing you can't do.
ReplyDeleteI've been wanting to try making bagels for some time now. Yours look incredible! Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteIncredible bagels! looks lovely.
ReplyDeleteoh...bagels...I really should try making my own...the ones bought in grocery stores aren't bagels at all...they're fluffy airy crap! good real bagels are dense and chewy...
ReplyDeleteyours look magnificent!
can't wait to see your brioche next week! isn't that sort of labor-intensive too with all the eggs?
PERFECT looking bagel! I'm onto these this week and have my fingers crossed. I need to go get some dehydrated minced onions so that I can make my "everything" bagels as well!
ReplyDeleteYou're bagels are extrodinary, seriuosly they look like they came from a bakery!
ReplyDeleteThe bagels definitely whopped my #%&*) making them. Holy cow was I sore.
ReplyDeleteI have zero clue why they would not rise especially being the same dough. However, at the end of the day as long as they taste perfect who cares if they are flat?
Those are some amazing looking bagels! Wow!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, my mouth is watering looking at these pics! I am a self-proclaimed bagel snob (jersey can spoil you like that) but now i'm thinking of trying my hand at making my own.....
ReplyDeleteJust how I like my bagels, homemade with lots of sesame seeds :)
ReplyDeleteI had the flat issue in the beginning too - I think its the temp of the water, but not too sure. They look fantastic and I love your toppings. I loved PR's bagels and have made them tons of times now.
ReplyDelete