Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside.
I'm from Montreal, born and raised - which means that we rely on bagels like we rely on air to breathe. It also means that we are as snobby about our bagels as we are about our status of being "real-Montrealers" (those of us who live on the actual island... not the surrounding area). You can take a wild guess that I grew up ON the island.
Having weekend brunch at the iconic St-Viateur Bagel, walking into those cramped bakeries and being surrounded by the smell of freshly baked bagels is an experience that's hard to compete with. It's one of those experiences that makes Montreal - well - Montreal.
It's been hard since I've moved to Ottawa to find the equivalent. Kettlemans Bagels actually is the one place I've found that have Montreal-style bagels. And they're GOOD.
But for those days you don't want to venture outside, or you feel like being a little crafty, you can make your own.
What makes a Montreal bagel? The perfect Montreal bagel is baked till golden, it's crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. They're unique because they're boiled in honey water which gives them their shiny-glaze.
I can't replicate the feeling of walking into a bagel shop, and that atmosphere, and the joy you get, but I can give you the smell and the taste, that will hopefully, remind you a little of home.
Pro-tip: To speed up the dough rising process, heat your oven to 200° F degrees. Turn off the oven and place your dough as specified in step 3 in the oven with the door closed. This will ensure a warm environment for your dough and the dough will rise fairly quickly (assuming the yeast is good).
MONTREAL STYLE BAGELS
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS
DOUGH
500 g All purpose flour
2 tsp instant yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
300 ml warm water
1 Tbsp honey
Egg wash (for brushing)
TOPPINGS
Poppy seeds
Sesame seeds
Anything-but-the-bagel seasoning
INSTRUCTIONS
In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the bread mixer attachment, pour the flour the sugar and the salt, then add the yeast AWAY from the salt.
Turn on the mixer and mix while pouring in the water until it forms a dough. Keep mixing until the dough comes together and becomes harder to mix. Mix a little with your hand and form a bowl.
Grease a bowl with olive/coconut oil or cooking spray, so the dough doesn’t stick. Cover with plastic wrap and a damp towel, and let it rise for an hour. Leave it somewhere humid or fairly warm in order for it to rise quicker. You can use the oven trick as I mentioned above.
Remove from oven and heat oven to 450° F.
When the dough has doubled in size, punch it to get the air out, re-form it into a ball and divide it in 8 equal parts.
Boil water in a large pot, and add in the honey.
Working with 1 of the 8 pieces of dough at a time, form a ball, and stretch a whole in the middle and try to make it look as smooth and as even as possible. When all of your bagels are shaped, boil them for 1-2 mins on each side and remove them with a slotted spoon (or whatever you can grab them with).
Place them on a wire rack to cool. When they’ve cooled and dried a bit, brush them with the egg wash and top with the seasoning of your choice (see options above), or leave plain.
Bake for 20 mins or until golden brown.
Let cool on a wire rack.
Serve and enjoy!
NOTES
You can freeze these after baking if you wish, just let them cool, and slice in half. Freeze for up to 6 weeks.
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