The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Bagels

bobku's picture
bobku

Bagels

I know this subject has been beaten to death but I need some help. I have been making bagels each weekend for the last couple of months everything has been coming out great except for the crust. I am lookinbg for that crispy crackel crust, everything I have done so far results in the same soft bread like crust the bagels taste great and dough texture is great except crust . I have used various recipies including Peter Reinhart's. all tasting great .I boil my bagels about 45 sec to 1 minute on each side ans have used baking soda, lye, ands malt following other sugestions I have read on this board. I have baked at temperatures as high as 500.This only thing I haven't used is a baking stone which will be next step This might be very basic but is this the step I am missing will a stone give me that crust. Do I need to be baking on soaked wood boards ? are there any other sugestions anyone else can give me?

Sorry about double posting

PaddyL's picture
PaddyL

I live in Montreal, and Montreal bagels are famous, but they do not have a crispy crust.  I've never heard of a crispy-crusted bagel.

Maverick's picture
Maverick

If I had to venture a guess, I would have to say you are thinking of a bialy, not a bagel. Bialys are not boiled like you would a bagel. Try looking up a recipe for a bialy and see if that is what you want (Glezer has one in Artisan Baking Across America, but I am sure there are other sources).

mredwood's picture
mredwood

I have baked bagels, first boil then bake on the fabric boards, flip them off after 4 or 5 minutes to the stone. Finish baking. If you bake brown you can get them crusty. They do not stay crusty. Very shortly after they will soften. The Bialys are crustyer for longer. If you like crusty try the Pain l acinnne (There we go again with the spelling) in BBA. This is crust at it's finest. If you make them correctly you can end up  with 6 loaves of crust heaven. They will be saying "step away from the bread".

Good luck.

Mariah