Recipe - The Basic Bagel

2 cup Warm water (100 to 115
deg.F)
2 pack Active dry yeast
3 tablespoon Sugar
3 teaspoon Salt
About 5 Three fourths cup allpurpose
flour (unsifted)
3 qt Water with 1 Tbl sugar
Cornmeal
1 Egg yolk beaten with 1 Tbl
water

Combine water and yeast in the large bowl of an electric mixer; let stand 5
minutes. Stir in sugar and salt; gradually mix in 4 cup of the flour. Beat
at medium speed for 5 minutes. With a spoon, mix in about 1 One fourth cups more
flour to make a stiff dough. Turn out on a floured board and knead until
smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky, about 15 minutes; add more flour as
needed (dough should be firmer than for most other yeast breads). Place in
a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled,
about 40 minutes. Knead dough lightly, then divide into 12 equal pieces. To
shape, knead each piece, forming it into a smooth ball. Holding ball with
both hands, poke your thumbs through the center. With one thumb in the
hole, work around perimeter, shaping bagel like a doughnut, 3 to 3 1/2
inches across. Place shaped bagels on a lightly floured board, cover
lightly, and let stand in a warm place for 20 minutes. Bring the
watersugar mixture to boiling in a 4 or 5 quart pan; adjust heat to keep
it boiling gently. Lightly grease baking a baking sheet and sprinkle with
cornmeal. Gently lift one bagel at a time and drop into water; boil about 4
at a time, turning often, for 5 minutes. Lift out with a slotted spatula,
drain briefly on a towel, and place on the baking sheet. Brush bagels with
the egg yolk glaze and bake in a 400 deg.F oven for about 35 to 40
minutes, or until well browned and crusty. Cool on a rack. Makes 12.

WHOLE WHEAT BAGELS ++ Follow basic recipe, omitting sugar;
use 3 Tbl honey instead. In place of the flour, use 2 cups whole wheat, 1/2
cup wheat germ, and about 2 Three fourths cups allpurpose flour. Mix in all the
whole wheat flour and wheat germ and 1 One fourth cups allpurpose flour before
beating dough. Then mix in about 1 One half cups more allpurpose flour, knead,
and finish as directed.

PUMPERNICKEL BAGELS *+* Follow basic recipe, omitting sugar; instead use 3
Tbl dark molasses. In place of the flour use 2 cups each rye and whole
wheat and about 1 Three fourths cups allpurpose flour. Add all the rye and 1 cup
each of the whole wheat and allpurpose before beating dough. Then add
remaining 1 cup of whole wheat and about Three fourths cup more allpurpose flour,
knead, and finish as directed.

MORE BAGEL VARIETY ++ Try adding One half cup instant toasted
onion to the whole wheat or basic bagels; add it to the yeast mixture along
with the sugar and salt. Or sprinkle One half tsp poppy or sesame seed or 1/4
tsp coarse salt on each glazed bagel before baking. Or add 1 Tbl caraway
seed to pumpernickel bagels, then sprinkle each glazed bagel with One half tsp
more caraway seed before baking.

Posted to MMRecipes Digest V4 #075 by "William E. Webster"
thelma@pipeline.com on Jul 09, 1996