“the works”

I’ve been missing Klein’s bagels lately.  The Nashville food scene is blowing up with so many more dining options than ever before, and for that I am eternally grateful.  Bagels, however, are another story.  Where oh where do you find a decent bagel in this town?  With only one non-chain nearby option for bagels, I feel like there’s definitely a void that needs filling… mainly the bagel void in my belly! Klein’s bagels in Kalamazoo, Michigan was the place to go in college (and beyond) for your Sunday morning hangover fix.  “The Works”, (essentially an everything bagel), toasted with cream cheese was my favorite.  I’ve since graduated to tomato slices with fresh chives atop the cream cheese.  I love the taste of tomatoes and everything bagels together.  Rumor of tax evasion was the reason I heard Klein’s had closed.  A chain called the Bagel Beanery has opened in it’s place and I have no idea if it’s any good!

my sissy was dually impressed with my bagel-making ability

Lately our Nashville bagel fix comes from Fido.  Bagels, coffees, a bowl of fruit and $30 later, we’ve had our Sunday bagels for breakfast.  I thought I could make my own bagel breakfast for cheaper than $30 at home, but truth be told, I probably spent about the same amount.  (Plus a $9 trip to Noshville for The Hub’s lox.)  Oh well, the process was still pretty fun!

My first attempt at bagel-making was not the most perfect.  I had difficulty mixing the large amount of flour with the dough hook in my stand mixer.  The recipe called for the end result dough to be “smooth and stiff”.  Well, it was stiff all right, but smooth was another story.  I was almost ready to give up but then decided maybe my bagels wouldn’t be perfect, and you know what?  That’s ok!  The bagels did turn out craggy and somewhat lumpy but still tasted really good!  Boiling before baking gives a nice crust on the outside and leaves the insides tender and chewy.  This is a very long process so have patience and if you want early Sunday morning bagels, you’ll probably need to begin this process on Friday night, as the poolish (fermentation starter or “mother dough”) needs to sit in the fridge overnight.

Let’s DO THIS!  Day 1 begins with the poolish.  The night before, in a medium bowl, mix together bread flour, yeast and water with a wooden spoon until well combined.  Place plastic wrap overtop of the poolish and set overnight in the refrigerator.

is poolish Polish?

Day 2 starts with a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.  Combine yeast and honey with 1 2/3 cup of lukewarm water in the stand mixer bowl.  Gradually mix in the poolish.  Once well combined, start mixing in the bread flour, whole wheat flour and salt.  Try adding these ingredients in 4 parts, adding more once it’s mixed in together.  Beat on medium speed (I used a speed of 3 and sometimes 4).  Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead it for a few minutes.  It “should” be smooth and stiff, but if it’s somewhat craggy and cracked, it will still work  out for you.  Place the dough in an oiled bowl (I used olive oil) so it doesn’t stick to the bowl.  Cover dough with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm, dry place for an hour.

craggy and cracky but it’ll be ok!

After an hour, the dough will have doubled in volume.  Cut it into 12 even pieces and form balls out of the pieces.  Place balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet sprayed with oil.  Cover with oil sprayed plastic wrap (otherwise the wrap will stick to the dough) and let sit for 30 minutes.

shhhh, resting.

After 30 minutes, poke a 1″ sized hole with your finger in the center of each dough ball.  Cover back up with the plastic wrap and let sit for ONE MORE HOUR.  Seems like a lot of waiting, but the end result is worth it, I swear!

getting so close!

Now would be a great time to preheat your oven to 475 and to also throw together your bagel toppings.  I mixed dried onion, dried garlic, black and white sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and kosher salt for my “works” toppings.  I’d start with 2 tablespoons of each ingredient, except for the salt, just do 1-2 teaspoons of salt.

make sure your partner eats a “works” bagel too, you don’t want to be the only person with stinky breath!

After your bagels have risen for an hour, plop one in a bowl of water.  If it floats, it’s good to go and your long wait is over!  Fill your largest pot with water, add the baking soda and bring to a boil.  Prep the baking sheets.  Place one next to the boiling pot of water and line it with paper towels.  Have your bowl of toppings nearby at the ready.  Line two other baking sheets with parchment paper sprayed with oil.  My pot fit 4 bagels per boiling round without too much crowding.  Boil the bagels for 1 1/2 minutes, then flip and boil for another 1 1/2 minutes.  Transfer bagels from pot to paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain.  Be sure to sprinkle toppings on before the bagels are completely dry.  I prefer both sides of my bagels to be chock full of toppings so I was sure to go hog wild with my sprinklings.

so exciting!

After the bagels have mostly dried, place them on the parchment-lined baking sheets and transfer to the preheated oven.  Bake for 20 minutes at 475, or until deeply browned.  Let cool and serve with your favorite bagel toppings; cream cheese, chives, and tomato for me, cream cheese, chives, and lox for The Hubs.  Store in a ziplock in your pantry for up to 3 days, or slice and freeze for up to a month!

beauty

(Recipe from Food & Wine by Zoe Nathan.)

“The Works” Everything Bagels
Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 3 hours, 30 minutes, plus overnight poolish proofing
makes: 12 bagels
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