Montreal bagels are generally smaller and chewier. My version keeps the soft chewiness, but keeps the size of American style bagels. I also coat both sides of the bagel in toppings so both sides of the bagel are coated in flavor.
| INGREDIENTS | DIRECTIONS |
|---|---|
For the dough 5 ½ cups Cups of warm water 3 ¼ oz fresh yeast 10 ½ tsp kosher salt (I use diamond crystal salt) 1 whole large egg and 1 yolk at room temperature ¼ cup grapeseed oil + 1 tablespoon for oiling the bowl ½ cup honey- clover or buckwheat is great here 5 cups bread flour, preferably king Arthur(semolina for dusting baking stone if using) For the water bath ⅓ cup good quality maple syrup (or honey) 1 tbsp kosher salt 34 qts water Toppings or inclusions “Everything” bagel spice Poppy seeds Sesame seeds (not toasted) Dried onion or garlic Shredded cheese Oats or flax Brown sugar cinnamon salt Dried cranberries, blueberries or cherries Chocolate Chips |
1 In a mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, bloom the yeast in the water and honey. Let this sit for about 10 minutes. 2 Add your egg and egg yolk and grapeseed oil. 3 Mix your flour and salt together. Add to yeast mixture and mix for about 10 minutes, or until the dough comes together and is smooth, soft and supple. If it looks too sticky- add a bit more flour. 4 Remove the dough and knead by hand for about 10 minutes until the dough is elastic and forming window panes. This is also the stage to add your inclusions if you choose. 5 Place in an oiled bowl, covered with a clean linen towel or plastic wrap/ proofing bag and let it rest and rise for approx. 25 minutes at room temperature (approx. 65 degrees relative). 6 Punch the dough down and weigh out the dough. Divide into 9 equal portions (approx. 145 grams) or 18 equal portions (approx. 73 grams) 7 Roll each portion out into about an 8-9 inch rope, and wrap each dough rope around the palm of your hand, rolling and pressing the counter with the palm of your hand to pinch the sides of the bagel together. Repeat until complete. 8 On a tray lined with parchment, let your batch of bagels rest under a towel or plastic for another 15-20 minutes until they are puffy and large. 9 Bring your water to a boil in a large, wide pot, add salt and maple syrup and stir. 10 Preheat an oven at 425 fan/convection. Dust the baking stones with semolina if using. 11 Gather your bagel toppings (if you are using) and place them into large shallow bowls or baking trays. 12 Carefully drop each bagel into the boiling water with a spider or slotted spoon, and boil for 1 minute each side. Bagels will puff and enlarge in the water bath- so do not overcrowd. Continue boiling in batches until done 13 Add wet, just boiled bagels to your topping bowl, shaking and flipping to coat both sides. 14 Place on either a baking tray lined with parchment or a silpat, or a baking tray dusted with semolina if using a baking stone. 15 Bake bagels at least 1 inch apart for approx. 25-35 minutes or until the bagels are a medium brown. Bagels with lots of toppings will brown quicker, so keep a close eye. If using a baking stone or stone oven, rotate the bagels with a peel half way through. The internal temperature should be between 190-200, and the bagels should sound hollow when tapped. 16 Recipe makes either 9 large “American” sized bagels—or 18 of the the more traditional small montreal bagels |