Bagels puffing up like balls and cracking
I make bagels that taste good, have a subtle crunch to the exterior and a chewy but not hard density inside. But I'm getting massive oven spring, so the holes always close, they go from donut shape to almost a ball, and they crack (in the hole, or where the hole had been, and on the underside).
Why is this happening???
I proof them almost 24 hours in a fridge (no warm or room-temp proof). The look a little thin coming out of the fridge, then plump up to the perfect size and shape in the boil/bath.
They also look perfect in the oven (at 482ºF / 250ºC) for the first 4-5 minutes. But then they puff up into a ball and start cracking.
I bake in a convection oven on revolving trays.
I proof the bagels for anywhere between 16-24 hours in refrigeration, then go straight to the boil, and the bake shortly after.
After mixing I briefly refrigerate the dough to cool it off and then do a punch-down before shaping. I don't proof the dough or the bagels at room temperature at all.
I did try upping the salt in the recipe and the bagels kept their shape when baked but tasted way too salty. I reduced the yeast a little but no luck. Maybe reducing the yeast even more would do the trick?