Bagels

Ingredients

• 14.66 oz bread flour
• 4 tsp vital wheat gluten
• 2 tsp instant yeast
• 9 oz cold water
• 1–2 tbsp malt syrup
• 2 tsp salt
• cornmeal
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• olive oil

Method

Bagels are a dough that demands cold fermentation. The long overnight proof in the fridge is not optional — it develops flavour and gives the dough enough strength to hold its shape during the boil. Start with your flour, vital wheat gluten, and yeast in the food processor. Pulse once to combine, then add the cold water and malt syrup. Mix for twenty seconds until shaggy. Rest the dough for twenty minutes — this dough-rest allows the flour to fully hydrate and begins gluten development without mechanical mixing. Add salt and process for ninety seconds until the dough tightens into a smooth ball. You'll feel the machine working harder as the gluten network firms up. Remove and knead briefly by hand, about a minute, to ensure the salt is evenly distributed and the structure is even.

Divide into eight pieces for smaller bagels or six for standard ones. Shape each into a tight ball — do not flatten — and rest uncovered for fifteen minutes. This brief rest relaxes the gluten, making the next shaping easier. Poke a hole through the centre of each ball with your thumb, then stretch the dough into a ring using both hands, working the hole wider as you go. The hole should be noticeably larger than you instinctively think — it will shrink during proofing and baking. Place each on a cornmeal-dusted baking sheet, cover, and proof at room temperature for one hour. Transfer to the fridge for twelve to twenty-four hours. Cold fermentation bread-fermentation slows yeast activity and allows enzymatic breakdown of starches, building complexity and a tighter crumb.

Bring a large pot of water to a hard rolling boil and dissolve the baking soda into it. Preheat your oven to 450°C with a pizza stone inside. Working one at a time, drop each cold bagel into the boiling water — the baking soda raises pH, browning the crust through the Maillard reaction — and boil for thirty seconds per side. The bagel will initially sink, then float to the surface once it's set enough. Remove with a slotted spoon and place face-down onto parchment paper, adding toppings if using. Bake directly on the pizza stone for seventeen minutes, then flip and bake for another five until the bottom is deep brown and crisp. The stone conducts heat aggressively, creating the characteristic dense, chewy interior and dark, glossy exterior. Cool on a wire rack for at least fifteen minutes before slicing.