Title: Sourdough Bagels — Strength and Chew

Let’s make some dough.

Bagels live at the lower end of hydration — usually around 55%. That means firm dough, minimal spread, and strong structure. This is not airy bread. This is disciplined bread.

If high-hydration doughs teach restraint, bagels teach control.

Three things:

1. Low hydration (about 55%)
2. Tight shaping
3. A brief boil before baking

The boil sets the crust. It gelatinizes the outer starch layer before the oven, creating that shiny, chewy exterior. Skip the boil and it’s just round bread with a hole.

Ingredients (400 g flour base)
• Bread flour — 400 g
• Water — 220 g (55%)
• Salt — 8 g
• Mother dough — ~80 g

Mix until fully incorporated. This dough is firm — knead 3–6 minutes if needed.

Rest 20 minutes.

Ferment until expanded and slightly domed.

Divide into 90–110 g portions. Shape tightly into rounds. Rest briefly.

Poke a hole and stretch into rings.

Boil 30–60 seconds per side.

Bake at 500°F for 15–20 minutes until golden brown. Cool before slicing.

Bagels teach structure without slack. The dough resists you — and that resistance is information. You learn how mixing builds strength, how shaping affects crumb, and how chew is created intentionally.

Every hydration has a personality.

Bagels teach strength.

Until next time, let’s give thanks for our daily bread…