Rye Bagels by Roxana Jullapat

This delicious recipe for classic bagels made with a rye sponge can be found in Roxana Jullapat's terrific Mother Grains cookbook which is available in the Janie's Mill bookstore. 

Yield: 6 bagels

Total Time: 20 hours 

Ingredients

For the rye sponge: 

• ½ cup (65 g) Janie's Mill Dark Rye flour
• 1⁄4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon instant yeast
• 1⁄3 cup cold water

For the dough: 

• 2⁄3 cup lukewarm water 
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast
• 2 cups (270 g) Janie's Mill High-Protein Bread flour, plus extra for dusting (Sifted Artisan flour also works great here)
• 3⁄4 cup (115 g) Janie's Mill Whole-Kernel Bread flour (or try an heirloom variety like Turkey Red)
• 3 tablespoons whole milk
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon barley malt syrup

For the topping: 

• 1 ½ teaspoons caraway seeds
• 1 ½ teaspoons nigella seeds
• 1 ½ teaspoons poppy seeds
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons sesame seeds
• 3 tablespoons onion flakes
• 1⁄4 cup barley malt syrup (for boiling)

Instructions

The day prior to baking:

1. Combine the ingredients for the rye sponge by stirring together the rye flour, salt, yeast, and cold water in a small bowl. Cover tightly and ferment at room temperature for 4 hours.
2. After four hours, bloom the remaining teaspoon of yeast in 2⁄3 cup lukewarm water. Stir and set aside for five minutes.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment or a large bowl, combine the dissolved yeast, rye sponge, flours, milk, sugar, salt, and barley malt syrup. Mix on low speed for 2 minutes to combine, then increase the speed to medium and mix for 2 more minutes until the dough feels firm and bouncy. Add 1-2 more tablespoons of water if you have unincorporated bits of flour or your dough feels very dry and mix until smooth once more.

• • If kneading by hand: Use a wooden spoon to mix the flour and water mixture until a shaggy dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a counter and knead for 6-8 minutes until a cohesive, smooth dough forms. 

1. Form bagel dough into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, and cover tightly. Let rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. 
2. Coat a parchment lined baking sheet with oil or nonstick spray. Divide the dough into six equal pieces and form each piece into a ball. Cover the balls with a damp kitchen towel and let rest for 10 minutes. 
3. Form the bagels by poking a hole in  the middle of each ball to create a hollow center. Stretch the hole until it measures 1-2 in. in diameter. Transfer the shaped bagels to the prepared sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. 

The next day: 

1. Remove the bagels from the refrigerator and let the sit, uncovered, at room temperature for 1 hour.
2. Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat a baking sheet with nonstick spray.
3. Mix the everything topping ingredients and set aside. Prep any other toppings you may want to use.
4. Bring a large saucepan or Dutch oven of water to a boil and stir in the barley malt syrup. Working in batches of 2 or 3 bagels at a time, poach the bagels for 30 seconds, flip with a slotted spoon, and poach for 30 more seconds on the second side. Use the slotted spoon to transfer the poached bagels to the prepared baking sheet. The bagels will have a prettier side - usually the side that went into the water first. Make sure this side is up. Sprinkle each bagel generously with topping, if desired. 
5. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Then rotate the baking sheet and bake for another 10-15 minutes until deep golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before serving. 

Baker's Notes:

• If your dough feels dry or extremely stiff after the initial mixing, add 1-2 additional tablespoons of water. Whole-grain flour tends to absorb more water. 
• Molasses can be used as an alternative to barley malt syrup, but barley malt syrup will give a more distinctive bagel flavor.