Online-Only Recipe: Homemade Bagels

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald...d/14425945.htm

BREAD

BAGELS

When a Cook's Corner reader requested a bagel recipe in 1983, Linda
Cicero responded with this one, writing: ``Frankly, bagels are a true
bother to make, and if you've got a good bakery nearby, it's hardly
worth your time to make these at home. Of course, there's something
very satisfying about making anything from scratch -- and while the
homemade version will never be as sleek or uniform as those made
professionally, the taste is a bit better.''

FOR THE DOUGH:

· 2 cups warm water (110-115 degrees)

· 1 teaspoon sugar

· 1 package dry yeast

· ½ cup high-gluten (bread) flour

· 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour

· 1 tablespoon salt

FOR THE WATER BATH:

· 4 tablespoons sugar

· 2 tablespoons salt

Combine ½ cup of the warm water, the sugar and yeast in a small bowl.
Stir and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, combine the bread flour, 2 cups
of the all-purpose flour, the salt and the remaining 1 ½ cups warm
water. Add the yeast mixture and beat for 5 minutes on medium speed.

Cover the dough and let rise until it falls, about 2 hours. (When the
dough has collapsed, the sides of the bowl will show its former, higher
level.)

Stir 2 more cups of flour into the dough. Dust the rest of the flour on
a work surface and turn dough out onto it. Knead until smooth and
shiny, then place dough in an ungreased bowl and let rise, covered,
until double in bulk -- about 1 hour.

Punch down the dough and turn out onto a board. Cut into 12 pieces.
Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Take 1 piece of dough at a time and roll into a snake about 8 inches
long. Moisten and overlap the ends, pinching them together firmly. The
bagel should be as uniform as you can make it, with a hole in the
center no smaller than 1 ½ inches.

As each bagel is finished, put it under a dry towel. When all the
bagels are formed, place a damp towel over the dry one, and allow them
to rise for about 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Make water bath by combining 4 quarts water
with the sugar and salt in a large pot and bringing to a simmer.

When the bagels are ready, slide them three at a time into the
simmering water and cook for 1 minute on each side.

Remove bagels from water with slotted spoon, drain, and place on a
large baking sheet covered with baking parchment (simply greasing the
pan will not work).

Bake on the middle rack of the preheated oven for 10 minutes; the
bagels should be set but not browned. Turn them over and return the pan
to the oven. Bake for about 5 minutes more, or until bagels are
browned. Cool on a rack. Makes 1 dozen.

Per bagel: 211 calories (2 percent from fat), 0.6 g fat (0.1 g
saturated, 0.1 g monounsaturated), 0 cholesterol, 5.7 g protein, 44.7 g
carbohydrates, 1.5 g fiber, 1,745 mg sodium.