Bronx Worthy Bagels

In my opinion, Peter Reinhart is the king of bread. His recipes are spot on and hard to mess up, but that being said finding his recipes online is a major hurdle in putting his knowledge of kneading times, sponge development, and fermentation to work. I did manage to track down his infamous bagel recipe over at Smitten Kitchen and even my long requested copy of his cookbook Artisan Breads Everyday happened to come through at the library the same day. I’m in Peter Reinhart heaven!

Bagels have always intimidated me with their neediness for an overnight cold fermentation and a boiling water bath. They just seemed like more work than I had the time or patience for. Yes, they are a lot of work, but one bite of these superbly crafted masterpieces and you’ll make a double, maybe even triple batch next time around. With a slightly crunchy exterior and moist chewy finish, these guys hold their own against anything you’d find in the Bronx or Montreal.