The basic shape is hundreds of years old and serves lots of practical advantages besides an even cooking and baking of the dough. Repeat with the remaining dough until all of your bagels are shaped. (Kneading develops gluten and builds structure, which is what gives bagels their characteristic chewiness.). Now that we have our bagel cut into equal pieces. Turkish Simit Breads: If you’re looking to break away from the traditional bagel mold and try something new, give this shaping method a try. These ones don't contain chocolate chips, but they do allow us to provide you with the best experience. Required fields are marked *. I vowed to learn how to make bagels that were so delicious, my family would choose mine over the best bagels in town. Feel free to make your bagels bigger or smaller, whatever you like, maybe you want mini bagels or maybe you want really big breakfast sandwich bagels, but I'm gonna go for six pieces and it's about a hundred and 10 to a hundred and 20 grams. To shape and bake the bagels: Divide the dough into eight pieces for large bagels or sixteen pieces for smaller (3 1/2") bagels. The best way to add toppings? You’ll learn tips and tricks so you can make perfect homemade bagels in (hopefully) less than a year. Divide each quarter in half again for a total of eight bagels, or divide each quarter into thirds for a total of 12 smaller bagels. Blog How to shape bagels. It’s thrilling to imagine that in 12 months, I’ll have expanded my baking repertoire and conquered something new (or that’s the goal, at least). Next, stretch and shape the bagel into an even ring. Here are a few different ways to shape your bagel dough. By continuing to use this site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Want more bagel tips and tricks? You should have twice as many strands of dough as the number of bagels you’re hoping to make. Twirl the dough around your fingers, enlarging the hole until it’s about 2” in diameter. At this point, you should have 8 to 12 roughly equal pieces of dough ready to be preshaped. While the bagels rest, fill a large, high-sided skillet about halfway with water. The hole should be about 1-1/2 inches wide. A babka + challah mashup from Claire Saffitz, How one family keeps traditional Jewish foods alive in New York City, Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube LinkedIn. Bake your bagels according to your recipe’s instructions until they’re golden brown on both the top and bottom. Make a rope: Use this method if you want to make crispy-chewy bagels with a large center hole. To shape bagels, use one finger to create a hole in the center. Jan 26, 2020 - Learn how to shape bagels using two basic techniques, as well as a more advanced technique: shape them like Turkish Simits Breads. Connect with us. From Chewy Bagels to Montreal Bagels to Baby Bagels, there are many to choose from. For this last method, use the “wide log” preshaping technique as a first step. We use cookies to provide you with the best browsing experience. For this shaping method, use the “wide log” preshaping method. After all the dough is preshaped into smooth rounds, let them rest on a floured surface, seam side down and covered, for about 30 minutes. If you don’t have a scale, pat the dough into a round and use a bench knife or a dough scraper to divide it into wedges like a pie. Share a photo of your homemade bagels with us on Instagram or post it on our Facebook page. Chat | Email . Kye is here to show you not one but two ways to shape bagels like a pro. For this first option, use the “smooth rounds” preshaping method described above. Don’t skimp on the kneading time if you’re looking for superb texture. Next, shape the bagels: Punch down risen dough to deflate. You can also freeze extra bagels and pull them out one at a time to enjoy all week long. Roll each piece into a ball; poke a hole in the center of each ball and gently tug to form a rough bagel shape with a 2-inch circle in the center (see Post above for a link to a video tutorial on how to shape bagels!). Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically. We basically let the dough rise, shape it into 8 balls, then let those balls rise again. Bagel balls can also result from under-proofing the dough, which can translate into a too-vigorous oven spring, or from mismeasuring the yeast—a more likely scenario when you're using a regular kitchen scale, rather than a micro scale, to measure something as tiny as four grams. By Kye Ameden. There’s not much difference in the final products, though steaming tends to be a faster, less messy process. By continuing to use this site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Roll each piece of dough into a long rope about 8" to 10" in length. (You may have seen it before if you’re familiar with Turkish bagels or Turkish Simit Breads.). With this preshaping technique, start by patting the dough into wide logs. Lines and paragraphs break automatically. They'll puff up very slightly. This motion should twist the two strands of dough together. Hold one end in your palm and bring the dough around your hand to meet, overlapping by about 2 inches. The dough should stick slightly to your work surface. Use the water bath instructions in our Turkish Simit Breads recipe if you’re using this shaping method. Bottom line: Homemade bagels are easy to shape and bake (and are also utterly delicious). Next, divide the dough into smaller pieces and shape each piece into a bagel with your hands. When the dough is done rising, divide it into equal pieces. I have food grade lye that I use for pretzels. Bagels are made with a basic yeast dough. Once your preshaped dough has rested, it’s time for final shaping. (Small bagels weigh about 75g prior to boiling and baking; standard-sized bagels are about 100g to 110g.). If so, let us know in the comments, below. See our complete collection of Tips and Techniques posts. Shape bagels: Either poke a hole through the center of the ball and hold the ball with both thumbs inside the hole, then rotate to gently stretch until the whole is roughly two inches in diameter; or roll the ball into a slightly tapered 8- to 11-inch log, then moisten the ends. Divide dough into 8 equal-sized pieces. Wet the ends of the rope slightly and overlap them, twisting them together. Savina Rego, from Perth, shared a video on her Instagram profile showing how she did it. Use your thumb to create a hole in the center of one dough ball. What you will need: a small rolling pin (or your hands) and, of course, bagels. With this insight, Sarah Cook shows you how easy it is to make and shape your homemade bagels. Mar 14, 2020 - Learn how to shape bagels using two basic techniques, as well as a more advanced technique: shape them like Turkish Simits Breads. This tried-and-true classic won’t let you down. ), Prepare your bagel recipe through kneading the dough. Repeating the motions is the best way to learn (and end up with a lot of delicious bagels!). In reply to I had decided to try and… by Dani (not verified). Take it a step further. King Arthur Baking Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Ever wondered why bagels have holes in the middle? It all comes down to shaping. You’ll know exactly how much each bagel should weigh. 2020 will be the year of bagels! With a year of bagel baking under my belt, I’m ready to share stumbling blocks, learnings, and successes. Make a double batch of bagels if you want lots of dough to practice shaping. Jams, Marmalade, Chutneys & Preserves Making. Sprinkle generously with everything bagel seasoning. What is the best way to form or shape a bagel hole? Roll each portion into a rope then shape each rope into a bagel shape by overlapping and pressing to seal the ends Once the bagels are formed, let rest covered with damp paper towel for 20 to 30 minutes. Let’s see those shaping skills! Thin the log by rolling one hand back and forth in the center initially. Make a circular motion with your hand, dragging the dough against the surface of the table. Brush on bagels. It's time once again to Bake It Better! Head to our Bagel category for your favourite recipe. After each piece of dough is rolled to its full length, return to the first long rope you made. The twists are delicate and tend to unravel if boiled. The middle and ends of each log shouldn't be tapered, but should be as similar in thickness as possible. This method is also for you if you like to slather your bagels with cream cheese or top heavily with other spreads. Be sure to have good kitchen ventilation and take all proper precautions when working with lye; it can be dangerous stuff. Perform this technique with the remaining dough until all the bagels are shaped. Roll each log into a thin 10” to 12” rope, starting by thinning out the center and then working your hands towards the ends. Choose your shaping method and get started! Kye Ameden grew up in Fairlee, Vermont and has always had a love of food, farms, and family. Copyright © Now that you’ve learned multiple methods for preshaping and shaping bagel dough, how do you choose which one to try? Our Social Communities. Dissolve ⅛ cup brown sugar in the water and bring … I'd definitely love to see a future post about toppings and different flavors for bagels. How to shape bagel dough: three options. If you've already got food-grade lye on hand and you're comfortable using it at home, you're welcome to also try using it in (very small amounts) in the water bath for your bagels. Then slowly widen and stretch out the hole. Get the bagel recipe. The hole also allowed them to be threaded or piled high on a dowel which made them easier to transport and display. Whisk remaining egg. Set it aside and repeat with the next piece of dough. Cup your hand so that just your fingertips touch the work surface and the ball of dough is beneath your palm. (Watch our helpful video, How to shape pretzels, to see the same basic rope-making technique in action.). You can make a pretty darn good New York Style bagel no matter where you live. Put your hand through the hole in the center. Cover the shaped bagels with a damp paper towel and let rest 10 minutes. Roll the dough back and forth, slowly extending your hands towards the ends of the dough, elongating it and thinning the ends. Then, in order to get the bagel shape, you simply use your index … Jan 19, 2020 - Learn how to shape bagels using two basic techniques, as well as a more advanced technique: shape them like Turkish Simits Breads. I've focused on scones, tortillas, banana bread and, in the most recent year, homemade bagels. To avoid this struggle, preshape the dough to get it going in the right direction. Move your hands in the opposite direction of one another — move your left hand forward bringing the ends of the dough with it, and move your right hand back. Right direction or regular knife to cut each log should n't be tapered, but should be similar! Use cookies to provide you with the next piece of dough together roll the into... Hold one end to the first two methods are more traditional ; the last approach is fun and less.... This post to unravel if boiled messy process 10 how to shape bagels that just fingertips! 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