June 21, 2023 - 1:09pm
bagel cracks
Good morning bakers, my background is in boiled bagels. I am now working on a steamed bagel for my new employer. The bagels are nice, come out with a pretty good chew and a nice shine, but I am having trouble with the skin cracking. I would love to get to the point where they are smooth all the way round. I make the bagels with a spounge that ferments over night, then I roll the bagels and retard in the fridge for another night. I then bake straight from the fridge. Is this a proofing issue?
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Maybe that's not what you want to hear but I would buy those before I bought bagels. Looks like they are rising too much for a bagel. So many are adding steam to their bakes to get that splitting effect which looks like it runs along the seems of the twisted dough when shaping the bagels. (Bench flour?) I might be tempted to call them Kaiser Bagels. They certainly bake out beautifully consistent.
I think when switching to steaming, you have to figure out a way to keep the boiled set skin from softening and splitting during steaming. hmmm. interesting. What happens when the yeast is reduced? or Hotter steam temp? Lower steam temp? Are you skipping the boiling?
Your steamed bagels sound delicious and it's awesome that you're aiming for that perfect smooth finish. Considering your process it might indeed be a proofing issue. The overnight fermentation and retardation in the fridge are solid steps but the cracking could be due to either over proofing or uneven shaping.
Try adjusting the proofing time maybe a bit shorter or longer depending on your ambient temperature. Also make sure your dough has the right consistency when shaping. Overworking it might result in surface cracks.