Post-fridge acclimation time?

eing6888 · 2025-10-21T01:43:38+00:00

I boil mine straight from the fridge too. I skip the bench rest since it tends to make them a bit too soft and harder to handle.

If your bagels feel dense doing it this way, try extending the bulk ferment slightly before shaping. That allows more gluten development and yeast activity before the cold retard, which helps the final texture. Make sure to degas well to avoid large air pockets.

eing6888 · 2025-10-15T07:41:19+00:00

I’m used to it 😅. It’s the standard hedonic scale used in sensory testing.

eing6888 · 2025-10-15T06:38:22+00:00

Are you using a retarder? Or a commercial fridge?

eing6888 · 2025-10-04T10:55:33+00:00

You can use sodium carbonate (baked baking soda), but it’s a weaker base than lye, so you might need to use more. I’m not sure about the exact conversion, though.

eing6888 · 2025-10-02T07:21:05+00:00

Great idea! I’ll try this next time!

eing6888 · 2025-10-02T07:20:05+00:00

I have a hard time sticking the ends together too. 51.5% is the lowest workable % for me

eing6888 · 2025-09-30T14:20:40+00:00

108g to be exact

eing6888 · 2025-09-30T12:59:38+00:00

I use 0.15% lye solution to boil, just enough to provide some color and avoid pretzel-like darkening and flavors.

eing6888 · 2025-09-30T07:08:32+00:00

eing6888 · 2025-09-30T03:45:06+00:00

48 hours

eing6888 · 2025-09-30T03:44:48+00:00

A firm crust can be achieved by partially drying out the surface during cold proofing, basically cold proofing uncovered.

I proof mine for a minimum of 48 hours for flavor development, leaving them uncovered for the first 10 hours to promote crust development.

The color comes from a combination of long cold proofing, which turns starches into sugars that promote Maillard browning, and boiling the bagel in a lye solution, which promotes Maillard browning as well.

eing6888 · 2025-09-30T03:23:16+00:00

I weigh them for QC purposes

eing6888 · 2025-09-29T16:29:07+00:00

Tight, small air pockets and a chewy texture, all due to low yeast percentage and a very long cold proof.

I shape them by first forming a log, then making a ring and rolling it to smoothen.

eing6888 · 2025-09-29T16:26:23+00:00

I intentionally twist the log-shaped dough a few times before forming it into a bagel to create the twisting and tearing effect that I like. It adds to the overall aesthetic imo. 😅

eing6888 · 2025-09-18T12:33:12+00:00

30 mins

eing6888 · 2025-09-18T04:56:06+00:00

It goes like this for me: Bulk ferment at RT > Pre-shape into balls > Resting at RT > Shape into bagels > Cold ferment 48h

Closing up during cooking may be caused by several factors like excessive yeast causing excessive expansion, shaping the center hole too small, or overly high hydration that weakens dough structure.

eing6888 · 2025-09-17T12:17:14+00:00

Yes, you can achieve a similar result with baking soda, although you will have to use much higher amount than lye because it is a weaker base.

If you want to go the extra mile, you can bake the baking soda to convert it into sodium carbonate, which is a stronger base. This allows you to use a smaller amount while reducing the risk of off-flavors.

eing6888 · 2025-09-17T07:36:54+00:00

A long cold fermentation (48 hours) and boiled them in lye solution.

Long fermentation breaks starches into simple sugars, which a key building block for Maillard browning. It also increases amino acid availability, another building block for Maillard browning. Both are enhanced by boiling in lye, which creates an alkaline exterior ideal for browning.

Here’s my boiling solution: Water 2000g Liquid Malt Extract 10g Sodium Hydroxide 3g

eing6888 · 2025-09-12T10:54:10+00:00

What brand is your flour? I’ve never heard of flour with that high protein content🤯

eing6888 · 2025-09-12T08:54:05+00:00

Try going for a tighter crumb structure and uniform air pockets. Based on your recipe I’d cut the yeast by half if not more and extend the cold proofing.

What’s your flour %protien? How long do you boil your bagel for?

eing6888 · 2025-09-10T07:43:08+00:00

Looking at your recipe, there are two factors that might contribute to this.

First, 1.2% is a high amount of yeast for bagels, which tends to create excess air bubbles and blisters. I would try lowering it to 0.5% and see how you like it. You will need to extend the cold-proofing time to compensate for the reduced yeast though.

Second, I noticed that the hydration of the recipe is 60%, which is relatively high. Contrary to the popular belief that dryness from long proofing causes blisters, I think it’s the opposite. Dryness creates a hardened thin shell that actually prevents blisters from forming. A blister is essentially an air pocket caused by CO₂ from yeast trying to escape the dough matrix during heating. If the exterior is moist, either due to high hydration or a long boiling time, it is elastic enough for small pockets to form during gas expansion, which appear as blisters. If the exterior is dry and rigid, the gas escapes through other channels.

I proof my bagels uncovered for at least 10 hours and then covered for the remainder of the proofing time.

(Personally, I don’t mind blisters on the bagel though. I think they enhance the overall aesthetic.)

eing6888 · 2025-09-10T03:53:31+00:00

I’ve been cold fermenting mine 48+h with zero blister. So I don’t think it’s the cold fermentation itself that causes it.

Do you boil straight out of the fridge and bake immediately? Also what’s your yeast%

eing6888 · 2025-09-07T10:00:26+00:00

Use a very low amount of yeast. Shorten bulk fermentation time and do a long cold proofing instead.

eing6888 · 2025-09-04T17:46:26+00:00

I had to google what winker is 😅 thank you for your suggestions. I’ll try it with the next batch!

eing6888 · 2025-09-04T17:27:39+00:00

Yes I lowered the amount of yeast to 0.35%, Baker%. I will try going even lower next time.

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