To celebrate 10 years of this account, I’m tackling one challenge recipe each month – the kind I’ve always wanted to make but never found the time (or courage) to try. For November, it’s Claire Saffitz’s Everything Bagels!
They’re not difficult, per se, but definitely a project – mixing and kneading the dough, letting it rise, shaping, followed by another proof, boiling, and finally coating in your choice of seasoning (everything, duh) before baking to a deep golden brown.
The most challenging part was the shaping. Claire gives two options: 1) poke a hole in the center and stretch, or 2) roll into a rope, twist around your hand, pinch, and roll again to seal. I went with the second method for that classic bagel look, but let’s just say my technique could use a little practice.
My other struggle was transferring them from the sheet pan to the boiling water without leaving a thumbprint behind … which mostly came out in the bake. While these didn’t rise as expected, they were still so good – chewy, flavorful, and what Ina would call “rustic.”
Even better with a little Tabasco-infused butter, soft-scrambled eggs, melty American cheese, and bacon! Let’s just say I have a whole new respect for the bagel pros and will probably just leave this one to the professionals at Rose Foods.
Rating: 5/5
How Easy Is That – Skill Level: Intermediate
How Easy Is That – Time Involved: This is a project
Store-Bought Is Fine: barley malt syrup
Recipe on NYTCooking.com
