Question about salt in sourdough mix
Hi fellow Loafers,
Last week i got a curiously light crumb in my batch of bagels and I couldn't figure out what the heck I did differently to make it that way again. The dough was light and airy after BF , the rings didn't sink for the first 10 secs after hitting the boiling water , instead they floated right away. Later, I realized could it have been bc I forgot to add salt to my mix? Can omitting salt make such a huge difference? My friends and family prefer the lighter crumb and texture but i just couldn't reproduce it again. I mean, my normal bagels aren't heavy and dense at all, but these were extra light. I guess the only way to find out is to omit the salt again , on purpose this time. They tasted a bit bland but with the toppings and spread it's not too noticeable. I've read about the affects of salt on the dough but can it make this big of a difference? Maybe for a stiffer dough like this it does?
"Can omitting salt make such a huge difference?"
Yes. Less salt leads to more fermentation. Salt inhibits yeast, and makes dough tighter.
So what do you think of just fine grinding some salt on top of the bagels after they've been shaped or maybe adding salt to the boiling water instead of to the mix?
There are better ways to make lighter bagel dough than reduce the salt.
I'm a bagel traditionalist - I prefer chewy bagels with a skin like soft leather .
But I realize some folks do like donut-shaped bread. ;-)
Oh but these bagels were light inside yet chewy on the outside because they had been boiled. Light with a tight crumb
No salt usually equates to little flavor. If you want the bagels lighter work on your fermentation. You can try adding some whipped egg whites to lighten the dough a bit.