What Is a Bagel? Pt 5

OR, roll dough into 30" lengths, cut each length into thirds (each 10" long) and join the ends. If you become proficient at this hand-made method, make 10" marks on the edge of your bread board so your bagels will be a consistent size. BAGEL CUTTER METHOD: Roll dough out to a flat shape about 1/2" thick. Cut with a bagel cutter and smooth the tops over the sides so theyre rounded, using a little water on your fingers to smooth, if necessary. Knead scraps again, reroll and cut into as many more bagels as there is dough. If you dont have a bagel cutter, use a wide champagne glass to cut out the outside. Cut the inside hole with the edge of a cordial glass or the small end of a measuring jigger. Any leftover dough can be rolled into two strips and made into a bagel twist (separate recipe), sealing ends with a dab of water so they dont untwist while boiling and baking. Place shaped bagels on the greased baking sheet for the second rise, spacing them at least an inch apart to allow for the second rise. Proceed to Step 3: Second Rise. STEP 3: SECOND RISE During the second rising of the dough, the bagels will puff up on the greased baking sheet. cover them with a length of plastic wrap sprayed with nonstick vegetable spray or a very lightly dampened cloth such as a tea towel. Place them in a draft free location and let them rise at room temperature until puffy, about 20 minutes. NOTE: Bagels can be refrigerated at this point, should you decide to boil and bake them later, or the next morning. Leave them covered so they do not dry out. Remove from the refrigerator and allow to warm slightly while you boil water and preheat the oven. The second rise can be speeded up by using the microwave. Fill a 2-cup microwave-safe measuring cup with water and bring the water to a boil. Place in a corner of the microwave. Place the baking sheet of covered bagels in the microwave and close the door, but so not turn on the microwave. The bagels should rise in a bout 6 minutes. (It wont matter if the sheet is metal because you dont turn on the oven.) Or, spray shaped tops of dough with water. Place bagels on a microwave-safe surface and heat in the microwave on LOW or DEFROST setting for 3 minutes; rest for 3 minutes. Repeat heating and resting until bagels are puffy. Proceed to Step 4: Boil or "kettle". STEP 4: BOIL OR "KETTLE" Fill a 4- to 6- quart soup pot with water 3 to 4 inches deep. Water alone can be used, or add 2 tbs. malt syrup, honey or sugar. Preheat the oven to 400F., so its ready when youre through boiling the bagels. Drop bagels one at a time into the boiling water. Boil about 4 at a time or only so many that they float freely and so not crowd; they will expand further in the hot water. The bagel may sink to the bottom for a few seconds, and then float to the surface. Simmer for 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side, turning with a slotted spatula. Remove and put on a lightly greased rack or a lightly floured tea towel for a few minutes to drain. HINT: Put the top side of the bagel down into water first, and then turn over. When you remove them, the bagels will be top side up and slide off your spatula for draining and adding toppings. When cool enough to handle, proceed to Step 5: Glaze and Apply Topping, or if you omit this step, proceed to Step 6: Bake. STEP 5, OPTIONAL: GLAZE AND APPLY TOPPING GLAZES: Brush tops with glaze either before placing them in the oven or about 5 minutes into the baking and then again about 5 minutes before the end of baking. Ive tried all the glazes listed below on the same bagels in one batch, using white flour bagels and whole grain flour bagels. Despite claims in some cookbooks that different glazes yield different shades and crustiness, I found no appreciable difference in either color or texture of the crusts when applied to bagels. You may have a different result. Water Glaze: A spray or brushing with room-temperature tap water will yield a subtle glaze similar to using the steam baking method (described elsewhere in directions). Try brushing some bagels at the beginning of the baking, some 5 minutes after and some near the end, and compare the continued in part 6