How to Make the Best Bagels at Home (with Binging with Babish!) | Bagels | What's Eating Dan?

Introduce the concept of chewy bagels and the importance of gluten.

Discuss the type of flour used in bagels, emphasizing high gluten flour with a protein content of 14-15%.

Mention that vital wheat gluten can be added to bread dough to increase chewiness.

Explain that bagel dough has a lower hydration level (50-55%) compared to most breads (60-70%).

Introduce the experiment comparing New York water and Boston water for bagel making.

Measure the pH of both waters, noting New York water is about 6.4 and Boston water is 9.

State that both waters were tested for chlorine level and mineral content, finding them nearly identical.

Prepare to make two batches of dough using Cook's Illustrated recipe, varying only the water.

Combine bread flour, vital wheat gluten, and yeast in a food processor.

Add ice water and malt syrup to the mixture, then let it sit for 10 minutes (autolyse).

After autolyse, add salt and process for 90 seconds to develop gluten.

Rest the dough balls for 15 minutes before shaping.

Shape the bagels by rolling out into a 5-inch round, rolling it into a cylinder, twisting it, and reconnecting the ends.

Let the shaped bagels rest for an hour at room temperature, then refrigerate overnight.

Explain the difference in bubble size between the dough that rested at room temperature and the one that was refrigerated overnight.

Boil the bagels before baking to warm the dough and hydrate the surface starch.

Bake the bagels and compare the chewiness of the punched hole bagel versus the traditionally shaped bagel.

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary