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Modern High Hydration Bagel

  • Author: The Leaven Foods Team
  • Total Time: Active Time: 45 minutes | Inactive Time: 23 Hours | Bake Time: 17-19 Minutes
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Description

A fresh take on the classic, this higher hydration bagel dough creates a thinner, more delicate crust and a softer interior. For the best results, we recommend baking them on bagel boards.

Ingredients

Units

Equipment:

  • Mixer
  • Digital Thermometer
  • Digital Scale
  • Sheet Pan
  • Large Pot
  • Parchment Paper
  • Bagel Boards (optional)

Biga Ingredients (Amount – Baker’s %):

  • 400 g Bread Flour (12-14% protein) – 100%
  • 200 g Room Temperature Water (75℉ or 24℃) – 50%
  • 2.4 g Leaven Foods All Purpose or Wild Yeast – 0.6%

Final Dough Ingredients (Amount – Baker’s %):

  • 600 g Bread Flour (12-14% protein) – 60%
  • 450 g Water – 45%
  • 20 g Salt – 2%
  • 10 g Diastatic Malt Powder – 1%
  • 600 g Biga – 60%*

Additionally:

  • 2 tsp Baking Soda (for Boiling the Bagels)
  • Bagel Toppings (Flakey Salt, Everything Seasoning, Poppyseeds, Etc.)

Instructions

  • Mix Biga –  In a bowl, combine all ingredients listed under Biga and mix until fully incorporated. Cover with a towel and let rest at room temperature (70–75℉/21–24℃) for about 16 hours, or until bubbly on the surface.
  • Incorporate –  When ready to mix, combine the flour, water, biga, and diastatic malt powder in a mixer on speed 1 for 5 minutes, or until everything is fully incorporated.
  • Autolyse- Let the dough rest for 10 minutes to let the flour hydrate.
  • Mix –  After the 10 minutes is up, add the salt to the dough and mix on mixer speed 1 for 1 minute. Turn the mixer up to speed 3 and mix for 2 minutes. Finally, turn the mixer up to speed 5 and mix for 5 minutes. The dough should be smooth and pull away from the sides of the mixer bowl and the desired temperature of the dough at the end of the mix is 74-78℉/23-26℃.
  • Bulk Ferment- After mixing, transfer the dough to a lightly oiled container. Cover the container with a towel and and let sit at room temperature (70-74℉/21-23℃ ) for 4.5 hours. During the first hour of bulk fermentation, perform two sets of stretch and folds 30 minutes apart, starting 30 minutes after the mix ends.
  • Divide – When the dough has finished its bulk fermentation, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into twelve 140g portions. Shape each portion into a tight ball, set the dough balls into a lightly oiled container, and cover with a lid or plastic wrap.
  • Cold Proof- Place the container of dough balls into the refrigerator and let ferment overnight.
  • Shape- In the morning, pull your dough out of the refrigerator and shape into bagels. To do this, use your thumb and middle finger to poke a hole through the center and gently stretch it outward until the bagel reaches your desired size. Let sit at room temperature, covered with a towel, for one hour.
  • Boil & Bake – Preheat the oven to 475℉/246℃. Bring 1 gallon of water to a boil, and if you’re using bagel boards, start soaking them now. Once the water reaches a boil, stir in 2 teaspoons of baking soda. Just before boiling the bagels, gently adjust the center opening if it has tightened during proofing to help it keep its shape while baking. Carefully lower in as many bagels as will comfortably fit and boil for 30 seconds per side. Remove the bagels, transfer them to the soaked bagel boards, top with toppings if using, and place them in the oven. Bake for 5 minutes. (If you’re not using bagel boards, place the boiled bagels on a sheet pan lined with lightly oiled parchment instead.) After 5 minutes, flip the bagels onto a lightly oiled baking sheet and continue baking for 11–13 minutes, or until they’re a deep golden brown.

Notes

* percentage of preferment calculated by % of prefermented flour

Mixing speed and times may vary depending on the mixer. The following protocol has been adapted for a 4.5 qt. KitchenAid® or similar mixer using a dough hook attachment.

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