Ali's Sourdough Bagels

By Ali Wedding, Owner The Five Loaves Farm Bakehouse

The Five Loaves Farm is a local sourdough bakehouse offering all artisan sourdough goods. They offer a wide variety from traditional “Bread of Life” plain bread, to inclusion loaves, and even sourdough cookies and scones and this bagel recipe below! They offer a weekly pick up where you can place orders and pick up every Monday, as long as you order by the Saturday before! You can also find their bread at Moios Bakery in Monroeville and Todays Organic Market in Oakmont. To order, text MENU and your name to 412-398-8098 to see what is on the menu this week. Be sure to like & follow on Instagram and Facebook @thefiveloavesfarm.

Ingredients:
For the Dough
  • 150g bubbly, active sourdough starter
  • 250g warm water
  • 24g granulated sugar
  • 500g King Arthur bread flour
  • 9g sea salt (I use pink Himalayan salt)
  • Cooking spray or oil (for coating the plastic wrap and bowl)
For the water bath
  • 20g (1 tbsp) brown sugar
Directions:
  1. Mix all ingredients together In a rather larger mixing bowl. (It will rise quite a bit while it sits. I start first
    with the starter and water. mixing thoroughly then adding in the rest of the ingredients. The dough may
    be stiff, wet your hands and knead together. You can use a stand mixer, but I prefer to use my hands to
    work it all together.
  2. Cover the dough with a very damp towel and let it rest for 45 minutes to 1 hour. After the dough has rested,
    work the dough into a semi-smooth ball.
  3. Now it is time for the bulk rise: cover the bowl with plastic wrap that has been lightly coated in oil to
    prevent sticking. I also put a small drizzle of olive oil around the bowl to prevent sticking. Let rise until
    double in size. about 10-12 hrs when the temperature is 68F (20 C): 8 to 12 hours at 70F (21 C). Note: in
    the Summer. rise the dough during the day, once the dough ls almost double in size, cover and chill the
    whole bowl overnight (it will continue to rise slightly in the fridge). Proceed using the cold dough the
    following day.
  4. lt is now shape day: Line a sheet pan with a nonstick silicone mat or parchment paper.
  5. Remove the dough onto a non-floured work surface. Flatten the dough into a rectangle and divide into 8
    equal pieces, about 115 g (4 oz) each. Gather the ends, flip the dough over, and roll each piece into a ball. Let the dough rest on your lined sheet pan for 30 fo 45 minutes. (You can be flexible here, the longer
    they sit the better)
  6. Working with one ball of dough at a time, poke a hole straight through the center. Move your finger
    around in a circular motion to gently stretch the dough until the hole is about the size of a golf ball. You
    can also lift up the dough insert both index fingers through the center hole and barrel roll to gently
    stretch the opening. (See my reel on Instagram on this) When finished, place the dough back onto the sheet pan. It's okay if the hole shrinks slightly. Repeat shaping the remaining dough
  7. Now let rest again for the second rise: Cover the dough with a damp
    towel and let rest at room temperature for 30-45 minutes. The dough will
    puff up only slightly at this stage.
  8. Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the brown sugar
    and whisk well to dissolve. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
  9. Boil the bagels: Add 2 to 3 bagels into the pot and simmer for 30
    seconds on each side for a thin crust. Note: if using cold dough from the
    fridge, the bagels might not float to the surface right away. Give them a
    nudge after 30 seconds or so and be patient. Using a slotted spoon,
    transfer the bagels back the sheet pan you used earlier, placing them
    rounded side up. Carefully shake off off excess water.
  10. Bake: Place your sheet pan on the center rack. Bake the bagels for
    about 20 to 25 minutes. Flip them over to briefly cook the bottom side,
    about 1 to 2 minutes or less. When ready, your bagels will be puffed up,
    light golden brown, and feel light to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to
    cool, but indulge yourself and eat one (or two) warm.

These bagels taste best fresh, but store well in a brown bag for 4 days. They also freeze well and last up to 4 months when frozen. Be sure to follow me and tag me to let me how your bagels turnout! @thefiveloavesfarm on Instagram.

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