Bagel

The little town that I live in cannot be accounted as a food desert, but there isn't any decent bakery within walking distant. I visit bakeries in the shopping center to get freshly baked breads every once a week but none of them offers bagel - it just isn't the culture in Malaysia.

I first discovered bagel in a cafe with in 2013 and that has left me craving for more. The shiny roll with appearance that assembles doughnut was completely new to me. I soon fall in love with its dense and chewy texture which sets it different from the other breads. 

As I further my adventure with yeast, I decided to make my own bagels. The recipe calls for just a few kitchen staples: flour, sugar, salt, yeast and water. Traditionally, malt syrup is involved in the recipe but I decided to stick to the simplified version as I do not have any malt syrup in hand.

I was brainstorming for topping idea as I shaped the dough and started wondering its origin. A quick search on Google told me that bagel has acquired its stirrup shape for more than a century; the shape signifies the eternal cycle of life and is believed to bring good luck.

After shaping, these dough was rested for 40 minutes to allow proofing.

Bagel making involve a distinctive step that distinguishes it from other baked products - dough has to be poached in boiling water prior to baking. This key step is responsible for the chewy texture of the finished product. Apart from that, poaching in boiling water could also inactivate yeast and limits fermentation in the latter baking. It is often said that New York City has the greatest bagel in the world because it's municipal water has high mineral content which better supports the formation of gluten. 

Conventionally, lye is added to the poaching water to achieve an alkaline mixture that enhances Maillard reaction - the reaction that facilitates crust browning and flavor development. Due to the potential danger involved in dealing with the corrosive solution, baking soda is often used as the alternative for home baking. 

Poached bagel dough is subsequently brushed with egg white and baked in the oven for 15-20 minutes until it becomes golden brown.

The outcome: a half dozen of freshly baked bagels! These babies have crackly crust and chewy innard when warm. Upon cooling, they become touch and too dense and require toasting before serving.

Isn't it amazing that a few basic ingredients can give rise to so many possibilities with different textures and flavors? A slight alter in cooking methods and other parameters could create product that will surprise you! Making bagel is not tough but it is time consuming. I am so addicted to baking, the feeling of accomplishing things, especially edible things, from scratch makes me happy. It is a huge lesson about being patience- urging the yeast won't make the dough rise any faster. 

The undesired response I received in my mailbox today has brought me down but I am learning to take it positively. I feel blessed that my boyfriend is not only a partner, he is a teammate who involves himself in my life and shares the same feelings with me. It feels so good to have someone who strives to bring the best out of you and holds your hand and tells you it's okay.

Lastly, there's no way I can tell whether my bagel taste authentic because I've never been to New York! Well, someday, maybe :)