Baking Babes bake Bagels; Egg Bagels to be exact November 2018 challenge

For this month as Kitchen of the Month I was looking for a recipe that could be baked in a relative short time, that could be adjusted to various flours/diets and could easily be halved (or third-ed. reverse tripled?). Scaled down. That's what I meant to say.  

I've baked bagels (a long long time ago). These again are bagels. What I love about these is that they can also be bagel-loaves! For when you don't need the hassle of a water bath.

From my first love Beth Hensperger's Bread Bible. To be precise they are:

Egg Bagels

(Makes about 30 bagels or 3 9x5" loaves)

Ingredients

1 or 2 large russet potato (ab 3/4 pound total/340 grams) (we only use the potato water!)
2.1/2 cups water (500 gr)
2 tbs active dry yeast * (=24gr and I used 18 grams)
1.1/2 tbs sugar plus more for the boiling water as needed**
1.1/2 tbs salt plus more for the boiling water as needed
7-7.1/2 cups unbleached ap flour or bread flour (I used 980 grams)
1/4 cup corn oil
4 large eggs

Egg Glaze: 1 egg beaten with 1 tbs water

Sesame/poppy seeds for garnish

* yeast. Beth is a very enthusiastic yeast user. Please use your bread sense and adjust if needed ;-)
** I think bagels need some sweet in the dough. But maybe you feel this is a bit much. That's fine! Use less!

1. Peel potatoes and cut into large chunks, boil in 2.1/2 cups water until tender. Drain but reserve 2 cups of the potato water! Let cool until lukewarm. Use potato for other purposes.
2. In a large bowl using a whisk or the work bowl of a heavy duty electric mixer fitted wth the paddle attachment combine yeast, 1.1/2 tbs sugar, 1.1/2 tbs salt and 2 cups of the flour. Add potato water and oil. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of the flour and the eggs and beat again for 2 minutes. Add the remaining flour, ½ cup at a time until a soft dough forms that just clears the side of the bowl. Switch to a wooden spoon when necessary if mixing by hand.
3. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and springy, about 5 minutes. Only dust with flour to prevent sticking. By machine: switch from the paddle to the dough hook and knead for 4-5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and springy.
4. Place dough in a greased deep container. Turn once to coat the dough, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk 1-1.1/2 hours.

5. To form bagels: gently deflate the dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into quarters. Then each quarter into 6-8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a smooth round. Flatten with your palm and poke a floured finger through the middle of the ball. Stretch the hole with your finger to make it about 1 inch in diameter. Spin the dough around your finger. The hole will shrink slightly when you stop. Form all bagels.
   They will need no further rise at this point.
   
   
6. 20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Grease or parchment line 2 baking sheets. Meanwhile bring a large pot (3-4 quarts) of water to a boil. Add 2tbs of salt or sugar to the boiling water depending on the flavor you want the crust to have. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle low boil.
   
   
7. With a slotted spatula, lower 3-4 bagels at a time into the gently boiling water. They will drop to the bottom and then rise to the surface. As they come to the surface, turn each bagel and boil it 3 minutes on the other side. This goes very quickly, if you are making the entire batch of bagels, use a second pot of boiling water.
8. Remove the bagels from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and place each 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. When all the bagels have been boiled, brush with the glaze and sprinkle with the seeds if desired. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until deep golden. Transfer the bagels immediately to a cooling rack.
   
9. To form and bake a bagel loaf: In step 5  turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 3 equal portions. For into rectangular loaves and place in 3 greased 9-by-5 loaf pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until just level with the tops of the pans. (These loaves will rise a lot in the oven) about 40 minutes.
10. 20 minutes before baking preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C)
    
    Brush the tops with egg glaze and using kitchen shears, carefully snip the top of the dough about ½” deep at 2” intervals down the center of the loaf. Bake in the center of the preheated oven until crusty, golden brown and the top sounds hollow when tapped with your finger, 40-45 minutes. Transfer the loaves to a cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing.

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# Make these whole wheat by subbing 3 cups for an equal portion of the unbleached flour

# Orange Oatmeal
sub 1.1/2 cup oatmeal for an equal portion of the unbleached flour, add 1 tbsp grated orange zest and 2 tbsp honey

# Cinnamon Raisin
  Increase the sugar to 1/4 cup. Add 1 tbs ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground mace or nutmeg and 1/2 tsp ground cardamom with the flour in the initial mixing. Add 1.1/2 cups golden or dark raisins during mixing. This dough may be formed into a loaf and topped with sesame seeds.

# Pumpernickel Bagels
Substitute 2 cups medium or dark rye flour for an equal portion of the unbleached flour. Add 1/4 cup molasses, 1 tbs unsweetened cocoa and 1 tbs powdered instant coffee. Glaze the tops and sprinkle with caraway seeds.

# Onion bagels
Saute 1 finely chopped onion in 4 tbs butter until softened. Halfway through baking glaxe the bagel tops and spread 2 tsp of onion mixture over each bagel. Finish baking.

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My Notes:

On water: 

I used 360 gr potato 600 gr water; used 480 grams of water in the dough.

On flour: 

I used a total of 980 grams flour (and some for dusting the counter) That is about 7 cups, counting a cup = 140 grams of flour.

Subbed about 1.1/2 cup for whole wheat

On yeast and sugar:

Yes I did it. I used what Beth tells us to use.  Just to see what happens. But wait... I see I used "only" 18 grams of instant yeast...
Used that 1.1/2 tbs sugar in the dough and I also used sugar in the boiling water because I know I will use savory stuff on my bagels and I just love a sweet/salt combo.

On weight of the rolls / loaf

Used the total amount of dough as stated in the recipe. 

My bagels weighed around 65 grams each, and that gave me 18 bagels.

From the remaining I made 1 loaf; dough weight 600 grams. Could have been a little more maybe.

I loved the instructions on the water bath, spot on and so easy. I got beautifully plump bagels.

I remember from the first time I made bagels it was a nerve wracking experience with wrinkled and flattened bagels as a result. Maybe the fact that there were 4 of us in my then still tiny kitchen, all of us peeing our pants with laughter didn't help either. It was Daring Bakers time and I remember halo bagels, Helga bagels...

Would you like to be a Bread Baking Buddy?
I am host kitchen this month and I would love to see you baking with us.  I am ready to receive your pictures and link to your blogpost ánd send you your Buddy Badge!

Here’s how:
Just make the bagels or loaves, then email your link (or email your photo and a bit about your experience if you don't have a blog) to BOTH  bakemyday {at} gmail {dot} com and please add as your subject BBBuddy

Submissions are due by December 1st.  Once you've mailed, you'll receive a Buddy badge for baking along, then watch for a roundup of all of the BBBuddies posts a few days after the close of submissions.