April 30, 2012 - 2:54pm
bagel ice bath
I've treated my refrigerated bagels after boiling to either a dunk in ice water or air cooled. In either case I haven't noticed a difference in outcome. Whether with or without, the result is excellent and vastly superior to commercial purchases. Any comments?
I always use the ice-water dunk and can make no comparison. I work midweek, so I mix the dough Friday or Saturday night (using Hamelman's formula, which is superb), shape, retard, and bake in the morning. Allows for a more laid-back process, which works for me since I'm not much of a morning person.
Dan DiMuzio, baker and author, commented on the process here: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/12037/shaping-bagels-and-bagel-boards#comment-68426
I learned a lot from that thread and bake them so often, I order Sir Lancelot in 50# bags.