Montreal Bagels

Every time we go to Montreal, we have bagels on the first morning, thanks to my lovely sister :) In fact, no trip in Canada would be complete without it!

I found this recipe years ago, when me and my friend Jenny wanted to make bagels "just because" on a Sunday afternoon when we both lived in Sherbrooke. I found many other recipes after, but this one stuck because the bagels are so easy and fast to make, on top of the fact that they are really close to the "real deal". Authentic Montreal bagels are smaller, thinner, sweeter and denser than others as well as heavily covered with seeds.

The original recipe is for 12 bagels, but if you want "normal size bagel", you can easily make 16, as the quantity of dough is really a lot. 

Stir together 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast and 415mL of lukewarm water. Let stand for a couple of minutes. Whisk in 5 tablespoons (60g) of sugar, one beaten egg, 45mL of oil, 1 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of "malt powder" or "malt syrup" (I use a bread syrup, which is a kind of dark corn syrup). Add 2 cups (250g) of flour and mix well. Add gradually more flour until you can form a ball and start kneading. Knead for 10-12 minutes until the dough is smooth, adding as much flour as possible (the total quantity should be between 4 1/2 and 5 cups, or 550g to 625g of flour). Keep in mind that this dough is quite stiff. Put in a bowl, cover and let it rest for 10 minutes. 

Cut the dough in 16 equal pieces, roll each piece to make a long serpent and form a bagel ring around your hand (see a video of the pros!). Place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Let it rise 15-20 minutes until the bagels are very slightly puffed up. 

Fill a large pot or big pan with water. Add a pinch of salt and a big drop of honey and bring to a boil, preheat the oven to 225C. 

Once the bagels are slightly puffed up, boil them about 90 seconds, turning over once. Use a slotted spoon to fish them out and dip in sesame or poppy seeds, if wanted. 

Bake in the over for 15-20 minutes, or until golden, turning them once.

Enjoy with cream cheese!