Let's pay homage to the bagel as part of this month’s bread recipe series. There has been some weighted debate of the bagel’s origins. A presumed fictitious but favoured story suggests that it was created by a baker from Vienna, Austria, in the seventeenth century to celebrate Polish King Jan Sobieski III, who led forces to save Austria from Turkish invaders. The baker shaped the dough into a circle and called it a beugel, Austrian for a stirrup, to recognize the king’s appreciation for riding.
The less familiar version is that the circular treat known as obwarzanek emerged from German monasteries as a feast-day bread in the fourteenth century. Its frenzied popularity commenced when Queen Jadwiga of Poland gave up rich bread and pastries in favour of eating obwarzanek for Lent.
While the evidence to verify either story will remain tucked away in the memories of descendants long passed, one truth persists. The bagel quickly transitioned from food eaten on Jewish holidays to a low-cost, main staple in people's diets.
A Canadian household consumes, on average, 1tenbagels per month. Think of the money you’d save in a year if you made them yourself. There are only four simple ingredients if you don’t include the water. While the dough rises, you can do virtually anything else you need to. The mixing and baking time takes less than half an hour.
I encourage you to give this recipe a try. It’s quick and easy. Imagine the possibilities of customizing the flavour to anything you desire—no morning lineups to contend with. Make them on the weekend and enjoy them during the week ahead, or freeze them for another occasion.
New York-Style bagels have the distinction of being chewier than others. The 1 ½ minutes of boiling suggested in this recipe give these a perfect balance of being pillowy and not too chewy. The longer the formed dough is left to boil, the chewier the bagel will be after baking. The choice is yours.
When considering a great drink to enjoy with lox, cream cheese and a freshly baked bagel, one general wine-pairing rule is to pair foods and wines that match in texture and weight.
Salmon is a hearty, pink-fleshed fish with a high-fat content and distinct flavour profile. You don't want to pair smoked salmon with wines that are too sweet, oaky, tannic, or fruity. These intense flavours will compete with the intensity of the smoked salmon and render both the wine and the salmon bland, or worse, throw off the flavours of each.
Chablis is known for its acidity and minerality, offering a light, zesty flavour that balances the fat of smoked salmon well.
Quick and Easy New York-Style Bagel Recipe
Equipment
Baking sheet, parchment paper, large cooking pot, skimmer, standup mixer, hook attachment, measuring cup, teaspoon, tea towel, pastry brush, ramekin
PREPARATION TIME 2 hrs YIELDS 8 pcs
Ingredients
2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
4 ½ tsp sugar
1 ¼ cups warm water (110℉)
3 ¾ cups bread flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp olive oil
1 egg
Toppings (optional)
Instructions
Step 1
Add ½ cup of the warm water, sugar and yeast in a measuring cup. Do not stir. Let the mixture sit, allowing the yeast to bloom for 5 minutes. Stir until the sugar looks dissolved in the solution.
Step 2
Thoroughly combine 3 ½ cups flour and salt in the standup mixing bowl. Add the balance of warm water and sugar solution to the flour mixture. Mix on low until the ingredients come together and away from the sides of the bowl, forming a moist and firm dough.
Turn the mixer to medium speed for 5 minutes, sprinkling the remaining ¼ cup of flour while the mixer runs to achieve a stiff dough.
Step 3
Form the dough into a uniform ball with your hands and set it aside.
Coat the inside of the bowl with olive oil, place the ball of dough back into the mixing bowl and cover it with a clean, damp tea towel. Let rise for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
Step 4
When the dough has doubled in size, give it one punch down the centre to release the air, cover again and allow the dough to recover for 10 minutes.
Step 5
Divide the dough into eight equal pieces. Roll each with your palm on a clean surface to create round dough balls.
Press your finger into the center of each dough ball to form a ring. Make adjustments by hand to create a uniform shape. Place each ring on a prepared baking sheet. Cover them with the tea towel and allow the rings to rest for an additional 10 minutes while the water comes to a boil in the cooking pot.
Step 6
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer. Preheat the oven to 425℉. With a slotted spoon or skimmer, lower the bagels into the water, one at a time. Boil four at a time so that they don’t stick together. Cook for 1 minute on each side and set them back on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat for the last four rings.
Step 7
Lightly beat an egg in a ramekin with a fork. Using the pastry brush, lightly coat the top of each ring. Add optional toppings at this stage on top of the egg wash.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!