Help shaping Bagels

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Gpats on 10 May 2018 at 22:51

Hi Guys

Long time lurker first time poster. I've been really getting into baking bread the last 9 months and have been experimenting with some bagels and other breads the last few weeks.  

Been getting really good taste and chewy textures but am just struggling a bit getting a nice smooth round shape. I've tried rolling out the dough and re-joining it in a circle shape but they generally aren't a consistent size the whole way round. I have also tried rolling it into a ball and punching a hole through the middle however when I let it do a short 2nd proof the holes partially close over.

The other issue I have is the bagels deflating and losing their shape when transferring them to the boiling water after the second proof.

Any advice would be appreciate

Thanks in advance.

I like the poke-a-hole method, but they likely need two rounds of stretching: poke, put the first finger from each hand through the hole from opposite sides and spin/stretch them out...and after you finish (and they have had a rest), go back and do it again, going for a larger hole than you want in the finished bagels.

I use the ball-and-punch method.  My holes close over, and I haven't really minded, but I might try bikeprof's method and see what happens. 

My proof is long and overnight in the fridge.  I find if I bring them too close to room temp after that proof - and before boiling - they deflate and become mis-shaped during the boiling process, as you describe.  I prefer to bring them out of the fridge no more than 10-12 minutes before boiling.  Much easier to handle cold.

I use the same method as bikeprof, and it works well for me. I also proof overnight in the fridge and put them straight into the water bath. They are very easy to handle that way.

To add to the good advice above, I proof overnight on semolina dusted parchment. They seem to release easy with less chance of deflating/deforming.

for shaping.  Overnight  fridge proof on lightly cornmeal-dusted silicone mats on sheet trays.  If I empty half a fridge & and use a tall baking rack, I can stack 2 large pans and do a double batch.  I learned the hard way to not remove from the fridge (and only 1 pan at a time) until the water is close to boiling.   They don't rise much in the fridge so I place them fairly close together.  On silicone (and cold) they easily come off and hold their shape.

I must make some this weekend after a horrid "bagel" today from a bagel shop I'd never been to.  Hungry while waiting for an appointment.  I liked the oatmeal date concept, but this had the texture & flavor of a cheap hamburger bun.  Nothing close to a bagel.