For those who miss Montreal Bagels

[Kimbear 53]

So i'm really missing my montreal bagels. Ontario just doesn't cut it..no where does. I want a real chewy sweet poppy seed bagel, cream cheese, salmon, capers.

So i did a search to find any montreal style bagels in or around chicago. And all i found were people like me who wanted them as well. Then i found this article, it's old. However they give you a recipe that will "ALMOST" make a real montreal style bagel.

Thought i'd post it here for those that do miss them as well

http://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/13/garden/in-montreal-bagels-like-none-other.html

Here's the excerpt of the recipe from it:

The accompanying recipe tested well using all-purpose flour. But if possible, use a good hard-bread flour. It has more gluten (the flour's protein), which will result in a chewier bagel. Packaged fast-rising dry yeast works perfectly, but if you are able to find fresh yeast, by all means use it. A word about sweeteners: Professional bakers once relied on honey, since it carries its own characteristic bouquet. Over the years, the price of honey has increased, so now many bakeries use light or dark malt syrup (available in some health-food stores and in those that stock beer-making supplies).

In bagel making, most of the magic is in the mix of ingredients and in the boiling of the raw rings of dough. The resulting bagels should be delicious, even if you don't have a wood-burning oven. MONTREAL BAGELS Preparation time: 45 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes 1 1/2 cups water, room temperature 2 packages dry quick-rising yeast (or 1 1/2 ounces fresh yeast) 1 teaspoon sugar 2 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 whole egg 1 egg yolk 1/4 cup oil 1/2 cup honey 5 cups or more flour (preferably bread flour) 3 quarts water for boiling 1/3 cup honey or malt syrup Sesame or poppy seeds for sprinkling on top.

1.In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of an electric mixer that has a dough hook, blend together the water, yeast, sugar and salt. Stir in the whole egg, the yolk, oil and 1/2 cup honey, and mix well.

2.Add the 5 cups flour, and mix until the dough is too stiff to mix by hand. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface (if using electric mixer, attach dough hook), and knead to form a soft, supple dough. Add a bit more flour as needed to prevent dough from getting too sticky.

3.When the dough is smooth and elastic, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap or with a plastic bag. (See note.)

4.Let the dough rest about 20 minutes. Punch it down, and divide into 18 equal portions. Pour the water into a Dutch oven, along with the remaining Y cup honey or malt syrup, and heat to boiling. Cover, reduce the heat, and allow to simmer while preparing the bagels.

5.Shape the dough portions into bagels or doughnutlike rings by elongating each portion into an 8- to 10-inch coil that is 3/4 inch thick. Fold the ends over each other, pressing with the palm of one hand and rolling back and forth gently to seal. This locks the ends together and must be done properly or the bagels will open while being boiled. Let the bagels rest 15 minutes on a towel-lined baking sheet.

6.Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring the water back to a boil and remove the lid. Have bowls of poppy seeds and sesame seeds nearby.

7.When the water is boiling, use a slotted spoon, and add three bagels to the water. As they rise to the surface, turn them over, and let them boil an additional minute before removing them and quickly dipping them in either bowl of the seeds. Continue boiling the bagels in batches of three until all have been boiled and seeded.

8.Arrange the boiled bagels on a baking sheet, and bake on the lowest rack of oven until they are medium brown, approximately 25 minutes. Remove from the oven. Once cooled, the bagels can be placed in a plastic bag, sealed and frozen.

Yield: 18 bagels. NOTE: If not using the dough immediately, refrigerate it after it has been kneaded. Bagel making can be resumed up to a day later. Allow the dough to return to room temperature, and continue with step 4.

[Tim and Erin 3]

I make my own bagels, and I'm happy with them, although I've never had a true "Montreal" bagel to compare them to. Mine are sooo much better though than the storebought bagels.

While reading through this recipe, I noticed in step 5 that you form the dough strips into rings by joining the two ends. Just a tip: I make my rings by starting with a ball of dough, poking a hole through the middle with my finger, then kinda twirling the "donut" on my finger until the hole is big enough. Works for me, and there's no chance that the bagel will come apart during the boiling stage.

I also noticed that the bagels in this recipe are boiled then dipped into the seeds before baking. In my own recipe I boil them, then bake them 10 minutes. Then I take the pan out of the oven and brush the tops with beaten egg white and sprinkle with seeds. Another 15 or 20 minutes in the oven and they're done.

MMMMMMMMMM.......I must make some again soon. It's been awhile.

[marisp 0]

Metro in Ontario (at least in the Toronto area) sells St. Viateur (Montreal) Bagels. I just bought some last week!

Even better news, they ship to the US now too...

http://www.stviateurbagel.com/content/?id=111

[Krikit 1,166]

OMG. I had the best bagel I have ever had in my entire LIFE in a grotty little Jewish cafe in Miami Beach. Can you believe it was even better than the ones I've had in Montreal?? I guess I'll have to wait to have another one. But thanks for the recipe, Kim. I'm going to try it when my life settles down again.

[Kimbear 53]

amg ..marisp..i <3 you !! i showed my fiance the link and told him i want that!! 6dz..that is cheap! just the pictures..amg...lol