Bagel Making - Disaster, Help Please

LoubyLoo

Can anyone help/advise? My Dad suddenly had an urge to make bagels (he enjoyed them in his youth!). I managed to find a recipe and we have tried now 2 weeks running and each one was a disaster. Our main problem seems to be that we can't get the initial dough mixture to rise. It says to put in a warm place but where? We have tried his airing cupboard not warm enough and a by a radiator, not warm enough. Last week we resorted to putting in a very low oven but then the mixture rose but the outside was dry and cracked (like semi cooked).

Any breadmakers out there who could help? Would really like to succeed as since my Mum died 2 years' ago trying to get my Dad motivated to do anything has been a nightmare and it would be so good if this worked for him.

Here's hoping :T

frivolous_fay

I would be very interested to know the definiton of a 'warm' place as I never have any luck with dough rising either. I think in desperation I put the oven on low last time!

Oldernotwiser

Dough will rise anywhere but the cooler it is, the longer it will need.

northwest1965

I'm a breadmaker by hand. You do not need anywhere warm for dough to rise. I've made a batch this afternoon, I just let mine rise in the kitchen on the side. It will even rise in the fridge. A thought? Is your water too hot and kills the yeast or are you using dried. Personally I always use fresh yeast.

katholicos

I make our bread by hand and when the dough has been kneaded i shape it, put it on an oven sheet (make sure the dough is floured and not sticky) then put it (on the sheet still) on the worktop or kitchen table...but i always cover it with a clean dry tea towel to keep the heat in (the yeast and sugar soon start working and create warmth) and within an hour the dough has more than doubled in size. Then i bake them in the oven when they have risen.

Here is a link that might help too.

ubamother

a tsp of sugar, if not already in the recipe may help. It might be a problem with the recipe or the yeast and not you! I've made bagels successfully with a normal white bread dough, the boiling before baking is what restricts the rising when cooking resulting in the chewy bagel crumb you're after I think. If you have a problem with the rising dough cracking, oil the bowl first, put the ball of dough in and spin it around so it has a fine smear of oil all over it, then cover bowl with carrier bag.

liz545

I always follow this recipe by Dan Lepard (he's my baking idol!) - remember that bagel dough will be a bit stiffer and less satiny than regular bread dough. If yours aren't rising, check your yeast is fresh, make sure the water's warm (not hot) and adding some sugar to boost the yeast are all good starting points. You can stop the dough cracking on top by lightly oiling the bowl the dough's resting in, and covering it with clingfilm - the dough dries out and that's when it cracks, keeping the air out will fix that. HTH!

Butterfly_Brain

I use the same recipe for the normal white bread that I make and have no problems.
Silly question but have you checked the date on your yeast?
Another thing as liz 545 says check that your water temperature is not too hot or too cold
Sugar feeds yeast and salt kills it so make sure that the two dont come into contact with each other when you mix the dough - put them in opposite corners

nopot2pin

I have only ever made bagels using THIS recipe, and its never failed me.
I normally make plain, and a cinnamon and raison version, then I freeze them...
They are sooo much better than anything I have ever shop bought.

LoubyLoo

Thanks so much everyone. Some good points here. We did use dried yeast but does anyone know where you can buy fresh?

also I think maybe the salt came into contact with the sugar so that won't have helped.

Will try again.:j

Kentishmaid_2

I used Hairy Bikers recipe last Christmas and proved in the fridge overnight. The family were impressed (and I was) so I popped a couple in the oven to keep warm for a friend who was calling in.....later turned the oven up high ready for the turkey! They were rock solid!