"The best bagel is the one you make yourself." I dunno about that, especially if the bagel you make yourself isn't made using a lye bath. I know this is just a basics guide, but no lye treatment =...
"The best bagel is the one you make yourself." I dunno about that, especially if the bagel you make yourself isn't made using a lye bath. I know this is just a basics guide, but no lye treatment = not really a bagel (or pretzel), IMO.
Also, testing your freshly baked bagel with just a pathetically thin scrape of cream cheese on it, instead of a healthy schmear, with Lox and all the other traditional accoutrements... especially when it was literally National Bagels & Lox Day when you released this video? I am disappointed, Mr. Babish (and Souza)! ;P
They didn't use baked baking soda though, they just dumped untreated baking soda in the water... hence why the bagels came out looking rather pathetic instead of nice and shiny like they should....
They didn't use baked baking soda though, they just dumped untreated baking soda in the water... hence why the bagels came out looking rather pathetic instead of nice and shiny like they should. But I largely agree (especially for home baking) and was just intentionally being a bit snobbish for the sake of starting a conversation. ;)
p.s. Lye really isn't that dangerous... You just need to wear gloves when working with it, is all, and make sure not to accidentally inhale it or get it in your eyes.
You should give it a try some time... the texture difference between boiling them in water with baking soda vs lye is very noticeable. I have yet to try the baked baking soda method that deknalis...
You should give it a try some time... the texture difference between boiling them in water with baking soda vs lye is very noticeable. I have yet to try the baked baking soda method that deknalis linked, but it sounds like it may produce similar results as using lye.
"The best bagel is the one you make yourself." I dunno about that, especially if the bagel you make yourself isn't made using a lye bath. I know this is just a basics guide, but no lye treatment = not really a bagel (or pretzel), IMO.
Also, testing your freshly baked bagel with just a pathetically thin scrape of cream cheese on it, instead of a healthy schmear, with Lox and all the other traditional accoutrements... especially when it was literally National Bagels & Lox Day when you released this video? I am disappointed, Mr. Babish (and Souza)! ;P
A lye bath is hardly necessary for a bagel, especially for a home baker. Baked baking soda works almost as well without any of the dangers.
They didn't use baked baking soda though, they just dumped untreated baking soda in the water... hence why the bagels came out looking rather pathetic instead of nice and shiny like they should. But I largely agree (especially for home baking) and was just intentionally being a bit snobbish for the sake of starting a conversation. ;)
p.s. Lye really isn't that dangerous... You just need to wear gloves when working with it, is all, and make sure not to accidentally inhale it or get it in your eyes.
Yeah, I wasn't saying the recipe is perfect by any means, baking the soda beforehand would yield a much better result.
I have never used lye, just baking soda. Granted I would only make bagels occasionally and none of the bakeries I have worked in specialized in them.
You should give it a try some time... the texture difference between boiling them in water with baking soda vs lye is very noticeable. I have yet to try the baked baking soda method that deknalis linked, but it sounds like it may produce similar results as using lye.
I thought this video was great (minus the audio quality), thanks! I really liked the other guy's videos too.