August 21, 2009 - 8:07pm
Bagel Topping Stickiness
Hi all,
I am looking for tips on making toppings/seeds stick atop the bagels I bake. I am thinking of making a solution of egg whites and water, and misting that solution over the toppings once on the bagel.
Thoughts and suggestion would be very much appreciated!
Thanks,
Michael
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the gluten gets nice and gummy and staye that way for a couple of minutes ... that's when to top them. egg and other such artificial washes are strictly bush league!!!
Stan Ginsberg
maybe i will try to top the bagels within a minute of coming out of the boiling water. however, this issue i am having is really only in regards to poppyseeds....sesame seeds stick for me really well...
thanks for the reply
...with the experts, above. I've always done Brezel (pretzels) and bagels this way, with good results.
HOWEVER...if you really cannot get the toppings on at the 'correct' moment, cornstarch boiled in a little water makes a great 'glaze' that sticks those poppyseeds and sesame seeds very nicely! I use this on decoarated pain ordinaire, mostly, and it works great, hot or cold.
Paint it on, sprikle the seeds and 85% of the seeds seem to stick.
A couple of teaspoons in a half-cup of filtered water is about the right measure. The leftover stuff also lasts (at least) a week in the fridge, from experience...It may last much longer.
Hope this helps...
I have a bowl of egg wash. After I pull them out of their bath and let them drain off, I dump them in the egg wash, put them on a cookie sheet and sprinkle on the toppings. Works great for me! :)
Sprinkled toppings won't stick very well. Too haphazard and not enough pressure. Take the bagel in your hand, still wet from boiling and gummy from gelatinization as the other poster said, Thumb on the outside - first and second fingers in the hole. Or whatever grip works best for you. Press bagel down into a bowl or plate full of seeds. Place on parchment-lined, cornmeal dusted sheet pan. Or corn meal dusted peel or other loader, if you're lucky enough to have access to a hearth oven. It works!