Boiled and Baked

Despite the fact that an excellent Bagel shop recently opened within walking distance of my house (local peeps – definitely give it a try), I decided to make my own bagels. I guess having been sick for so long has really made me stir-crazy.

So I mixed and kneaded, and let the bagels rest:

Then I boiled:

And baked (dark ones on the left are cinnamon/chocolate-chip):

Ahhh.

This is the third time I’ve made them, and so far the best. I think all the recipes I’ve tried have been good. The recipe I used this time was more involved and required a two-day process, but I’m not really sure that’s the main reason. It was also the first time I used barley malt syrup, and I had a better idea of what the dough consistency should be like. I think if I made either of the other two recipes again, they’d be better than they were the first time – and in any case, they were ALL good. I’d have to really compare them all side by side to declare a winner.