All About Bagels

Bagels, with their distinctive chewy texture and holey center, have become quite a trend in Malaysia in recent months.

Originating in Eastern Europe, particularly Poland, bagels have spread across continents, gaining popularity for their unique flavour and texture. 

The bagel's characteristic shape is believed to have originated from the German word "beigel," meaning "bracelet," referring to the ring-shaped dough.

Bagels are known for their distinctive chewy texture. This is due to the boiling process they undergo before baking, which helps to develop the gluten in the dough thus creating a denser, more resilient structure. The exterior is often crusty and crisp, which complements the chewy interior that is slightly soft.

Bagels with Different Textures

Though bagels are known for being dense and chewy, but everyone have different tastes and preferences. Some like them soft, while others prefer them chewy or firm.

• The soft version of the bagel has a softer, bouncier texture and can be enjoyed as a bagel sandwich with fillings. 
• The chewy version has just the right amount of springiness and a slight bounciness that takes a bit of jaw muscle to bite into it. 
• The firm version is solid, compact and much denser - similar to that of German bread that has a substantial bite. 

Depending on the texture you wish to achieve, the type of flour, the amount of water used and the fermentation method has to be adjusted accordingly.

We experimented using 3 different flours (upper high protein, high protein and medium protein flour) to achieve the different textures.

                                                                                                                    

Upper High Protein Flour: Super Melanger

Super Melanger has a high protein percentage at 13%, which translate also to higher water absorption rate. This is why dough using Super Melanger requires more water. The dough made using Super Melanger is softest out of the lot and is most pliable. 

Medium Protein Flour: Melanger

Now, let's explore to see how different each bagel is:

The bagel on the far left is made using Super Melanger which is a Upper High Protein Flour to achieve soft textured bagels. Despite using the exact same weight for each bagel, the bagels made using Super Melanger turned out to be the biggest. 

In the middle is the bagel made using Pan Syokunin which is a High Protein Flour to achieve a chewy textured bagel. It is slightly smaller than Super Melanger.

On the far right, you will find the bagel made using Melanger, a medium high protein flour to achieve firmer and denser textured bagels. It turned out to be the smallest of the lot, but it was much rounder. This is because the dough is much firmer than the other two.

Technically, you will be able to achieve the texture that you desire using any flour type of your choice by adjusting the water amount and fermentation method.

With three different types of bagels, we are certain that even if you are new to bagels, you'd be able to find one with the texture that you will enjoy! 

So, How to Make Bagels?

You only need a few basic ingredients to make bagels, and the recipe is straightforward and surprisingly easy to follow.

What you'll need:

• Bread flour – Its high protein content makes the bagels chewy. 
• Honey – It acts as the sugar to activate the yeast and gives the bagels a hint of sweetness.
• Water – The liquid/hydration that combines the dough.
• Instant dry yeast – These bagels wouldn't rise otherwise!
• Sea salt – To lend the bagels some flavour.

First, knead the dough using the five ingredients listed above. After the dough rises, it's time to shape the bagels.

Step-by-step Guide: How to Shape Bagels?

Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball.

Next, roll out each dough ball to form a rectangle.

Flatten the wider end closer to you like shown below.

Roll dough to form a cylinder log. If you are wanting to add fillings into the bagels, this is when you'd add before rolling the dough.

Snip one end of the log

Connect both the ends of a dough cylinder together to form a donut shape.

Ensure to pinch and seal the edges.

Place the shaped bagel seam side down.

Boiling the Bagels

Bagels are usually boiled in salted water for 30 seconds per side before baking. However, you can boil them for up to a minute per side for a thicker, chewier crust.

We added 50g of honey into 1000g of boiling water, as the sugar in the honey helps the bagel to caramelize.

The bagels would crinkle up a little after boiling and that is absolutely normal.

After boiling the bagels, you'd send them in to the preheated oven to bake.

As the bagel bakes, the gluten in the dough continues to develop and strengthen. During the baking process, the bagel expands and rises. This helps to stretch out the dough, diminishing the wrinkles. 

The baked bagels are smoother, and shiny!

Bagels are a versatile treat that can be enjoyed in many ways. Whether you like them plain, with cream cheese, or loaded with toppings, there’s no doubt that bagels are a delicious and satisfying choice.