20% wholegrain bagels in 3 hours

Had a good friend coming over for a run and lunch today, but I was lazy and woke up too late! I don't usually like to make any yeasted product in less than three hours, but today was such a day and I was determined to make the best of it. 

20% of the flour was made up of whole einkorn and wholewheat and I made a 1:3 tangzhong out of this. To this I whisked in milk, some olive oil (not conventional, I know), salt, bread flour and IDY to make a dough that felt like 65% hydration. Knowing that bulk fermentation could only be 1.5 hours long - meaning the dough would not double in time; I don't use much yeast - I kneaded this for a while to build some strength. 

After 1.5 hours, I shaped them into balls, poked a hole in each, and tightened them into rings. Left to proof for 35 mins, boiled on each side in a sweet bath for 1 min, then baked at 210 degrees for 15 mins. Et voila! Lunch is ready. Pleased with the results. Very wholesome tasting, good rise and soft texture, not overly yeasty, and all in a morning's work. 

I had this with smoked salmon, homemade pesto and cream cheese. The running men - 22 km in the forest gave them an appetite for 4 bagels each - had them with bacon. Broccoli soup on the side. 

After lots of amateurish bagel making, I've learnt that the best results for me (i.e. mix by hand, minimal work) come from:

• Ensuring at least a double and better still a triple bulk fermentation to build strength; if not possible, do much more upfront kneading.
• Tight shaping is important. For me the hole poking method and tightening seam side down produced the best results.
• It's easy to over proof; ballpark 35-50 mins at RT 25-27 degrees is safe. Expand in volume by about 150% at end of proof; doubling is too much and might result in bagels collapsing when they are out of the boiling water.
• I've used all kinds of sweetening agents for the water bath - I ran out of brown sugar today and used agave syrup and sugar.
• Baking at high temps is crucial for good browning, slight crust and soft interior!