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GregR · 05-15-2010, 03:10 AM

so I was sitting around today nursing a slight hangover from the toots and the maytals concert last night and was watching "how it's made" when they had a segment on bagels. I was watching and thinking to myself I can do that and a bagel would be mighty tasty right about now.

I was surprised on how easy it actually was and how tasty they were. it was just a plain style recipe and next time I make then I'll be sure to tweak it a little to my liking but man, they were just fun and easy to make. if you like bagels you should really give it a try!

fineexampl · 05-16-2010, 03:08 PM

Awesome to know Toots is still touring! I got to see him about 8-9yrs ago at The Stone Pony here in Jersey and he killed it.

However, i worked for a couple bagel joints back in the day and i'll give you a couple pointers of what i remember. Fresh yeast seemed to be better than dry. After you mix the dough together, let it rest several hours covered with a damp cloth in a warm area. When you roll them out, toss them on a board sprinkled with corn meal and let them proof about 24hrs or overnight before you boil them. Cook them halfway and than flip em for a little while just to finish them off. Even baking is important, so maybe a convection oven? As long as they rest a long time before boiling you should be good. You just want the gluten to relax and it'll give you light fluffy HUGE bagels like here in Jersey or New York. You west coasters just don't get good bagels ...or pork roll.

peace man!

samc · 05-17-2010, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fineexampl

Awesome to know Toots is still touring! I got to see him about 8-9yrs ago at The Stone Pony here in Jersey and he killed it.

However, i worked for a couple bagel joints back in the day and i'll give you a couple pointers of what i remember. Fresh yeast seemed to be better than dry. After you mix the dough together, let it rest several hours covered with a damp cloth in a warm area. When you roll them out, toss them on a board sprinkled with corn meal and let them proof about 24hrs or overnight before you boil them. Cook them halfway and than flip em for a little while just to finish them off. Even baking is important, so maybe a convection oven? As long as they rest a long time before boiling you should be good. You just want the gluten to relax and it'll give you light fluffy HUGE bagels like here in Jersey or New York. You west coasters just don't get good bagels ...or pork roll.

peace man!

Huge, fluffy, light describes modern crappy bagels. The real old style bagels were small, dense and chewy. There are a few bagels on the west coast that are pretty good. House of Bagels in San Francisco makes a great bagel, the commute for me however is killer. Most modern bagels are stuck in a steam closet or room instead of boiling, it's becoming a lost art.

As I recall there was a good bagel place in Clark, NJ - is that still going?

I make them at home and it's tougher than brewing beer to get a great bagel.

fineexampl · 05-17-2010, 02:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by samc

Huge, fluffy, light describes modern crappy bagels. The real old style bagels were small, dense and chewy. There are a few bagels on the west coast that are pretty good. House of Bagels in San Francisco makes a great bagel, the commute for me however is killer. Most modern bagels are stuck in a steam closet or room instead of boiling, it's becoming a lost art.

As I recall there was a good bagel place in Clark, NJ - is that still going?

I make them at home and it's tougher than brewing beer to get a great bagel.

by big/fluffy i just mean they aren't little hockey pucks. you're right on the chewy though. i've been around the block a time or two with bagels. we get authentic Brooklyn bagels here with imported NYC municipal water. Just like Burton salts make English ales proper outside of England, NYC water makes a bagel cook proper.

and i'm just blabbing along...off to the couch with me.

Beernik · 05-17-2010, 02:38 AM

I keep mine small and chewy. Don't overdue the boil time or they are bulletproof.

bmsteele · 05-17-2010, 02:46 AM

Love me some homemade bagels, thanks for the great pointers fineexampl.

Any tips on forming the bagels? Mine always come out... kind of off? I always have a lopsided form. One side is always way thicker than the other and my "seam" is never pretty. Sometimes it likes to come apart when boiling, hah.

JOHN51277 · 05-17-2010, 02:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fineexampl

Awesome to know Toots is still touring! I got to see him about 8-9yrs ago at The Stone Pony here in Jersey and he killed it.

...or pork roll.

peace man!

MMMMMMM, with some ketchup on that sucker! Hell yeah. Taylor Ham, egg and cheese!!! FTW

RIBeer · 05-17-2010, 03:44 AM

Holy crap - Taylor Ham was a breakfast staple growing up in NY, but was impossible to find here in RI. Local family owned grocery store just started carrying it - gonna do a number on my cholesterol levels, I'm sure! My girls love it too, but SWMBO just doesn't get it. Poor girl.

pnj · 05-17-2010, 04:13 PM

I love me some bagels.

These things don't last more then 24 hours...

drez77 · 05-17-2010, 07:24 PM

This thread has inspired me to try and make these!