![](http://guenthersgarage.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_20200620_093334-1920x1440.jpg)
Weekend baking – bagels
I have found it difficult to find bagels that I like in California. I’m not sure what’s different about them, but my preference is for a bagel that is a little crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. For sure, I’ve not been to every bakery and bagel shop, but who really has the time to do that?
I decided it was time to make some of my own, since I’ve been baking a lot more on the weekends. I used to use a recipe that was based off from Dishably, however I decided to try something different. The one I’m making this weekend is from Sophisticated Gourmet, by Kamran Siddiqi. I decided to change it up to get something a bit more chewy, although honestly I think the only major difference in the recipes other than the proportion is that Kamran suggests boiling 2 minutes per side for a chewier bagel, which I did. This has made me wonder if it’s worth it to engage in a designed experiment to test variables in bagel making.
I wish I had taken photos of the initial dough size and then when it doubled, but I forgot. Here’s my first, the dough in my Kitchen Aid mixer bowl, with my first bagel torn off. It’s a very firm dough, resembling almost a putty, but it handles really nicely.
![](http://guenthersgarage.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_20200620_082525-225x300.jpg)
I usually tear off a bit and weight it to make 8 equal-sized dough balls.
![](http://guenthersgarage.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_20200620_082523-scaled-e1593047198606-266x300.jpg)
I formed the bagels by rolling them between my hands until they were relatively smooth, and then slowly pushed a finger through the middle, and rolled it between two fingers to stretch it out to be almost double, which allows them to contract to “bagel” size.
![](http://guenthersgarage.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_20200620_084350-225x300.jpg)
The next step is probably the most important for a bagel: boiling. Its this par-cooking of the bagel that gives it the different texture that we’re accustomed to. When I made bagels in the past, I had only boiled for about one minute per side. I made these at two minutes per side, and it yields a delightfully chewy texture, and used a chopstick to flip them.
![](http://guenthersgarage.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/MVIMG_20200620_084355-scaled-e1593047980613-300x287.jpg)
Now that my bagels are all par-boiled, it’s time to give them a little brushing of egg-white to make them shine! You can see the one in the bottom right is done, and the rest are not.
![](http://guenthersgarage.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_20200620_085919-225x300.jpg)
Now, to put them in the 425 degree Fahrenheit oven. I’ve found that for me they’re done a bit early, which might be my oven since I find the same thing for other baked goods. At about 18 minutes, this is what they looked like:
![](http://guenthersgarage.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_20200620_092207-300x225.jpg)
I could have cooked them a bit further, but I’m honestly very pleased with their flavor and texture. They’re somehow very chewy inside, and yet, still light and airy:
![](http://guenthersgarage.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_20200620_093334-300x225.jpg)