I love bagels. I do. But I never ever aspired to make them from scratch. It's just so simple and convenient to pop down to the local bagel mart, where await a staggering variety of delicious little specimens. Why make them? And how on earth would you even go about making a bagel? Well, thanks to the BBA Challenge, I now know exactly how on earth and exactly why. The how involves a yeast starter with high gluten flour (for the dense chewiness, of course), a good half an hour of kneading, some proofing, an overnight rest in the refrigerator, a quick little bath in boiling water, and trip into a very, very hot oven.
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