Bagels with Diastatic and Non-Diastatic Malt Powder

Bagels, pretty good ones

Source: Stu Borken stubeee@aol.com

Description: The original recipe asked for barley malt syrup. I found it did not help the recipe. In the year 2013 I read about diastatic malt powder and non-diastatic malt powder and how to use these in bagel making. Now I can produce nice crunchy crusted bagels with soft chewy interiors and good bagel flavor. I make plain, sesame topped and poppy seed topped and onion bagels. I egg wash them for a nice sheen and the wash allows the toppings to adhere. The crust has these little blisters under the crust, I like that.

1 1/2 cups spring water, warmed to 105-degrees

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 teaspoon diastatic malt powder

1 teaspoons Vital wheat gluten

4 cups bread flour

2 1/2 tsp kosher salt

FOR THE BOIL; a large pot able to hold 4 boiling bagels comfortably and deep enough to flip without hitting bottom. About a gal. of water.

2 tablespoon white sugar

4 tablespoon non-diastatic malt powder

FOR THE TOPPINGS

Whole egg mixed with a little water for egg wash

Poppy seeds

Sesame seeds

Dry onion flakes reconstituted with water, drained and placed on a dish

FOR THE RETARDED COLD RISE IN THE REFRIGERATOR;

1 jelly roll pan 17.25 X 11.5 X 1 inches (may use parchment paper or non stick aluminum foil on pan, I think it makes removing the cold bagels easier than not using) Plastic wrap to cover bagels as they rise

AFTER THE BOIL EQUIPMENT;

cooling rack set over a towel

pizza peel covered with parchment paper cut to fit onto the hot oven stone

Instructions: This recipe requires a 9-10 hour slow cold rise in a refrigerator, so, plan accordingly.

Place 1 1/2 cups spring water in Pyrex measuring cup and bring to 105-degrees. Pour into bowl of a powerful standing mixer with the pigtail dough mixer in place. I have a 6 quart Kitchen Aid Professional stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast into the water. Let it sit to proof.

Into another bowl measure 4 cups bread flour and 1 tsp vital wheat gluten, the Kosher salt and the 1 tsp diastatic malt powder. Using a whisk, stir this dry mixture. When you see the yeast has started to foam turn on the mixer to stir setting and add the flour mixture one cup at a time. When all the dry ingredients are wetted increase speed to 2. Knead for 10 minutes. Remove dough from bowl. It should be a nice dough and not adhere to your hands or to a wooden board. Knead it into a ball then pat it into a thick disk. Cover with plastic wrap or place into plastic bag for 5 minutes. Remove from bag or uncover and using a long knife, mark the dough into half. Then into quarters and then into 8th' s. Recover. If you are using plastic wrap you can mark the dough thru the plastic. Cut off 1/8th of the dough and cover the remaining dough. Flatten the 4 ounce piece of dough and elongate it into about a 4-5 inch segment and flatten it slightly by patting it. Then gather it up from along a long edge and using your finger tips press it into the dough and keep rolling it up and sealing it. Then when all rolled up, using the heel of your hand seal it up finally. Then place one hand atop the other and both hands in the center of the log of dough roll it out into an 11 inch rope. Wet the three fingers of your right hands with water from the faucet and wet the right three inches of the rope. Now wrap the rope around your hand with the ends overlapping in your palm and then rub the overlapping ends on the table top and form a seal. Place this bagel onto the jelly roll pan and cover it. Do the same with the remainder of the dough. You should have 8 equal size 4 ounce bagels. I have a kitchen scale and measure 4 ounces. Cover the bagels well and place in the refrigerator for 9 hours. Remove and leave at room temp. for 1 hour. Place your oven stone/pizza stone on a rack in the mid to upper oven. Turn the oven on to 450. Allow the stone to preheat for the hour. Place the water in the pot and add the non-diastatic malt powder and the sugar and bring to a boil. Place the wet onion flakes into a dish. Have your sesame seeds and poppy seeds ready and your egg wash and brush ready. Have a skimmer at the ready as well. Allow the pizza stone to heat up to the oven temp for 45 min. to a hour. This is when you do the boiling of the bagels. When the water is boiling place 3-4 bagels into the boiling water and boil for 30 seconds then flip over for 30 seconds then remove to a rack set over a towel. When all the bagels have been boiled paint with the egg wash. Sprinkle the seeds onto those bagels you want seeded. Pick up the ones you want dipped into the wet onion flakes and dip them. If the onion flakes don't adhere just pick the onions up and place them onto the bagel. These bagels will need an extra 5-10 minutes of baking because of the water in the onions. My pizza peel is the size of my pizza stone. I lay a piece of parchment paper on the peel and I place the boiled onion covered and seeded bagels onto the parchment. When all the bagels are finished being painted and seeded or onioned, I slide the parchment paper with the bagels on it, onto the hot stone and allow the oven temp. to recover to the 450 mark and then I turn the temp down to 425 and bake them for 20 minutes or until they are golden brown. The ones with the onions take an additional 5-10 minutes. Then remove them to a rack to cool and enjoy. Serves: 8 Serving Size: 4 ounce bagel Yields: 8 Prep Time: 30 min. Idle Time: 9 hours Cook Time: 30 min Total Time: all day