Valentine Heart Bagels
Valentine Heart Bagels
Ingredients
2 teaspoons (6 g) active dry yeast
4 ½ teaspoons (19 g) granulated sugar
1 ¼ cups (300 ml) warm water (you may need ¼ cup more)
3 ½ cups (440 g) bread flour or high gluten flour (you may need up to 1/4 cup more for kneading)
1 ½ teaspoons (6 g) salt
Directions
In ½ cup /120ml of warm water (115 degrees F), add sugar and yeast. Do not stir. Let sit for five minutes, then stir the yeast and sugar mixture until dissolved.
Whisk flour and salt together. Make a well in the middle and pour in the yeast and sugar mixture.
Pour 1/3 cup (80ml) of warm water plus food coloring into the well. Mix and stir in the rest of the water. Depending on where you live, you may need to add an additional ¼ cup/60ml of water. You want a moist, firm dough.
On a floured countertop, knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it is a smooth and firm dough.
Lightly brush a large bowl with oil and turn the dough to coat. Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel. Let rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours, until the dough has doubled in size. Punch the dough down, and let it rest for another 10 minutes.
Carefully divide the dough into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into an oval. using a dough cutter or knife make a slit 3/4 of the way down the oval so you have what appears to be a “V”. Elongate the “V” and carefully turn the side pieces into the middle to create your heart. Gently press down. Repeat with 7 other dough rounds.
Place heart bagels on a lightly oiled cookie sheet, cover with a damp kitchen towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425ºF / 220ºC.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Reduce the heat. Use a slotted spoon to lower the bagels into the water. Boil as many as you are comfortable with boiling. Once the bagels are in, it shouldn’t take too long for them to float to the top (a couple seconds). Let them sit there for 30 seconds, then flip them over to boil for another 30 seconds. Extend the boiling times to 2 minute each, if you’d prefer a chewier bagel (results will give you a more New York-Style bagel with this option).
If you want to add toppings to your bagels, do so as you take them out of the water. Alternatively, you can use an egg wash to get the toppings to stick before baking the bagels.
Once all the bagels have boiled (and have been topped with your toppings, transfer them to an oiled baking sheet.
Bake for 20 - 22 minutes, or until golden brown.
Tips For Brown Bagels
1. Add 1–2 tablespoons of one of these to your boiling water:
Barley malt syrup (gold standard)
Honey
Brown sugar
No sugar = beige bagels
