20231013 Bagels with CLAS

Please see here and here to learn more about concentrated lactic acid sourdough (CLAS). 

These days, I mostly bake bread using the air fryer and occasionally depend on the bread machine. I reserve the big oven solely for baking for those who hold a special place in my heart as VIPs.

One day, one of these VIPs came home. I made his favorite bread—bagels—in the big oven, following the Montreal-style bagel workflow that captivated me when I first tried it some time ago. Using this process to create the delightful crunchy-chewy bagels I adore proves far more efficient than the traditional New York approach. Incorporating CLAS into the process creates a win-win combo that delivers both crunchiness, chewiness, and flavorful bagels in under two hours.

My bagels tend to be on the sweeter side. To dial down the sweetness, simply reduce the amount of sugar in the dough and honey in the boiling water.

Ingredients:

3% whole rye flour from rye CLAS

97% beehive AP

6% sugar

5% egg

5.7% water from rye CLAS

49% warm water or milk

1.3 - 1.7% avocado oil

1.5% salt (NOT optional, unless you use VERY sweet boiling water to mask the blandness of a salt-free dough. Otherwise, you'll risk ruining the entire batch.)

0.2% dry yeast

0.9% Briess CBW® dark dry malt extract

RAW sesame seeds for coating

Total flour used: 1 kg

2.5L H₂O 

6 TBSP  honey

Mix

develop the dough FULLY

DT 30C

Bulk

33-36-40C x 45mins

Temperature fluctuations due to using an electric blanket for bulk.

Divide

@~140g

Store the divided dough in the fridge to slow down further fermentation.

Shape

Store the shaped dough in the fridge to slow down further fermentation.

Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper and sprinkle it with cornmeal made with pulsed flaked corn.

click to enlarge

Boil 2.5L of water with 6 TBSP of honey.

Boil the shaped bagels for ~ 20 seconds on each side or until they float.

Coat the boiled bagels with seeds.

Bake

6 bagels at once

no stone no steam

preheat to 460F

460Fx10

turn

425Fx5

turn

400Fx5

click to enlarge

Toasted sesame, homegrown chives, and cream cheese

P.S. 20231216

Chinese "bagels" (1) and (2) were new to me until recently.

The VIP got a taste of the 'real deal' in Montreal. Frankly, if these bagels are as bland as the salt-free recipe the bakery handed out, I'll definitely pass on them.