What is a bagel? pt 6

1 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
See part 1

Directions

differences.

Nonstick Vegetable Spray Glaze: an easy, quick, effective, low calorie glaze is a spray of nonstick vegetable spray. It goes on more evenly than using a brush, yet yields an even glaze. Spray before placing in the oven and again about 5 minutes before baking time is completed.

Melted Butter or Margarine Glaze: This glaze produces the same effect as vegetable oil. Watch the bagels carefully so they don't burn.

Egg Glaze #1: Mix together 1 egg white, 1 egg yolk or 1 whole egg with 1 tbs. water, milk, or cream.

Egg Glaze #2: Lightly beat 1 egg white. You can brush it on the bagels either before they are put into the oven or 5 minutes after baking time has begun, and 5 minutes before the baking is finished.

Cornstarch Glaze: Dissolve 2 tbs. cornstarch in ¼ cup cold water. Bring 1 cup water to a boil and whisk the dissolved solution into the boiling water until it thickens. This cornstarch mixture can be kept in the refrigerator for several days. Brush it on the bagel tops at the beginning of the baking and again as soon as you remove the bagels from the oven for a very high shine.

TOPPINGS: A variety of toppings can be added to the bagel before baking, either directly to the dough after settling, or after the bagel is glazed.

Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, caraway seeds and coarse salt are easiest to use because they can be placed in a dish directly from the jar, and the bagel can be dipped into the dish; the seeds adhere to the moist dough. Or they can be sprinkled on top of the bagels just before baking, and pressed down lightly to adhere. I've seen bagels with sparse toppings and those that are covered from top to bottom. There's no right or wrong way.

Add ½ cup finely chopped, saut‚ed onions to the tops of the bagels.

Add ½ cup finely chopped raw onions to the tops of the bagels; they will cook right along with the bagels.

Use dehydrated onion flakes or packaged onion soup that you have reconstituted with water, olive oil, or vegetable oil. Use 1 tbs. dry product to ½ tbs. water or oil, and soak for 2 to 3 minutes.

Mix together ½ cup chopped yellow onions, 1 green onion (white part only), 2 tsp. olive oil, 2 tsp. poppy seeds.

Sprinkle with garlic salt, finely chopped fresh garlic or garlic flakes.

For the "Everything Bagel" (see recipe), combine ½ cup finely chopped onions, 1 clove garlic, finely chopped, and ¼ cup sesame seeds. Sprinkle mixture on bagel tops before baking.

Use ground caraway or whole caraway seeds. These are particularly good on rye bagels. They can be combined with the topping for the "everything bagel".

Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, adjusting the "heat" to your liking.

Top with mixed fresh herbs, including parsley, chives and dill.

Dip into or distribute about ¼ cup coarse salt or kosher salt on top of 1 batch of bagels just before baking.

Poppy, caraway, sesame and celery seeds can be used directly from the jar.

Just dip the bagels into a dish of seeds or sprinkle seeds on top.

Toasting nuts before using them on (and in) bagels enhances their flavor.

Walnuts, almonds, pecans or hazelnuts can be used on bagels as toppings and also added to the dough at the beginning or before they are shaped and rise the second time.

Sprinkle with rolled oats or multigrain cereal, which will brown while baking.

Proceed to Step 6: Baking

STEP 6: BAKE

Place bagels on a shelf just below the middle in a preheated 400F. oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the tops are a nice golden brown.

BAKING SURFACES:

Bake the bagels on a baking sheet. The easiest surface available to most home cooks is an aluminum cookie sheet or flat Teflon-coated sheet pan.

Coat with a little oil and sprinkle very lightly with yellow cornmeal to prevent bagels from sticking. Or line the pan with continued in part 7

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