Have you ever had H&H bagels in New York? I used to have them all the time at the Upper West Side location which was quite close to where I went to school. Unfortunately there is a somewhat complicated history relating to the original owners of H&H and they had to shut down their business.
So I tried to recreate them at home with a recipe I found on chow. They are no way close to the ones at H&H but they will do for now.
Prep time: 2.5 hours
Bake time: 25 mins
Makes 12 bagels
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups tepid water (105°F to 110°F) plus 1 tablespoon for the egg wash
1 (1/4-ounce) packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
4 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons malt syrup
2 tablespoons kosher salt
4 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 large egg white
Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or coarse salt for topping
Directions:
1. Place 1 1/2 cups of the tepid water in a bowl
and dissolve the yeast completely; set aside. Combine flour, malt syrup,
salt, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook
attachment. Add yeast mixture, scraping any undissolved yeast out of the
bowl with a spatula.
2. Mix on low until most of the
loose flour has been worked into the dough and the dough looks shredded,
about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium low and continue mixing
until the dough is stiff, smooth, and elastic, about 8 to 9 minutes
more. (If the dough gets stuck on the hook or splits into 2 pieces, stop
the machine, scrape off the hook, and mash the dough back into the
bottom of the bowl.) The dough should be dry, not tacky or sticky, and
somewhat stiff.
3. Shape the dough into a ball, place
it in a large oiled bowl, and turn it to coat in oil. Cover the bowl
with a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm place, until it is
noticeably puffy and springs back when you poke it, about 20 minutes.
(The dough will not double in size.)
4. Meanwhile, heat
the oven to 425°F and arrange the rack in the middle. Fill a large,
wide, shallow pan (about 3 to 6 quarts) with water, bring to a boil over
high heat, then reduce heat to medium low and let simmer. Cover until
you’re ready to boil the bagels. Line a baking sheet with parchment
paper greased with oil or cooking spray. Place a metal rack inside of a
second baking sheet and set aside.
5. Turn the risen
dough out onto a dry surface. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces,
about 3 ounces each. (While you work, keep the dough you’re not handling
covered with a damp towel to prevent drying.) Roll each piece into a
9-inch-long rope, lightly moisten the ends with water, overlap the ends
by about 1 inch, and press to join so you’ve created a bagel. As
necessary, widen the hole in the middle so it is approximately the size
of a quarter. Cover the shaped bagels with a damp towel and let rest 10
minutes.
6. After resting, stretch the dough to retain
the quarter-size hole (the dough will have risen a bit) and boil the
bagels 3 or 4 at a time, making sure they have room to bob around. Cook
for about 30 seconds on each side until the bagels have a shriveled
look, then remove to the baking sheet with the rack in it. Adjust heat
as necessary so the water stays at a simmer.
7. Whisk
together the remaining 1 tablespoon water and the egg white until evenly
combined. Brush the egg wash all over the bagels, then sprinkle as
desired with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, or coarse salt. Arrange the
bagels on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 1 inch apart
and bake. Rotate the pan after 15 minutes and bake until the bagels are
a deep caramel color and have formed a crust on the bottom and top,
about 10 minutes more. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack for
at least 30 minutes so the interiors finish cooking and the crusts form a
chewy exterior.
