May 2022

I was a partial failure, or a complete failure depending on how you look at it.  I did not get to cooking something, but hopefully in future months I can make up for it.  What I've named in these past few posts aren't the only meals I've made that are new, but can I really feel that accomplished making fried rice for the first time?  Chicken tacos? A stir fry? Is it really that hard? 

Although maybe kind of like my baking challenge, I need to make a list (or a better list) of what I want to make.

Now for what I did accomplish (kind of) bagels

My boyfriend is right, they came out a bit dense, which is why this is a partial accomplishment.  I made them, but was the only one to eat them (although he almost tried them).

I had browsed a few different bagel recipes, and some required a full day of resting (for the life of me I can't find that recipe now). This one seemed simple enough and just an hour and a half to rest.  

This is another one of those recipes where I wish I had a stand mixer, so I might need to redo this one and the pretzels (and who knows what else) once I have one of those bad boys.  My hand mixer did not do the trick for this one, or at least a minute or so into eight minutes of mixing it was struggling, so I had to hand knead it.  Could be cause #1 for them being dense, but I can't be sure.   

So you mix for eight minutes, place in a greased bowl and let it rise for an hour or so.  I wouldn't think a few extra minutes (or even thirty would kill it) but my dough didn't really like it did any rising.  That should have been my first clue something was wrong.  Cause #2 possibly?  After this time, we divide the dough and make our bagel shape, again it was a little stiff, but I was able to work with it.  

Then one by one (or two) plop them into boiling water for a minute or two on each side to give them a bit of a chewy texture.  I was pretty sure they were supposed to float...they sank in the water.  So was the water not boiling enough, or was the dough already toast when I put it in the water...Cause #3.

So we boil for a couple minutes, dry them off, wipe them down with some egg wash, and cover in seasoning.  The first bagel I wasn't sure about, do you season and wash both sides or just the one?  They were a bit slippery, and some of the seasoning came off as I flipped to do both sides, but one side also didn't quite look enough.  I did somewhat later on regret the double side because it is an everything bagel (although they don't have to be).  A bit of an overload of onion/garlic breath at times.

I bought everything flavored seasoning instead of making my own knowing I was going to make these and seeing other people put it on things I wouldn't expect like cottage cheese or avocado toast. 

Once they are all boiled, seasoned and dried put them in the oven for 15-20 minutes and watch the magic happen.  I did end up baking them in two sets (which is why some are darker than others).  I don't think that would have caused any harm besides a slight over cook, which is why I didn't cook the second half as long.  

They are a little rough to eat, although like the pretzel not bad warm.  They are not quite the right size, can't really toast them in a toaster, and as I said a bit dense, but a semi accomplishment and I guess I'll take that.  

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So after making these, a day or two later I went back and read the comments to see if anyone else had the same problem I did or if I was the first (which I doubt).

Yes someone did, she couldn't tell if her dough had risen, and had dense bagels.  

Suggestion/reply was check to see if it doubled in size.  To see if "poofed" poke with two fingers, if the indentation stays dough is ready, if not let rise longer (and repeat).  There was also mention of trying a "float test" in room temperature water to see if they poof more, maybe they would poof better separate then in a giant ball. 

She wasn't sure if it was overworking (or in my case possible underworking?) the dough that caused them to sink. She also thought it was that her house was too cold, although that would be the opposite in my case since its about one hundred degrees and I'm not blasting my air conditioning, but opening windows instead.