Day 73

This day was a primarily a prep day but we also made bagels from scratch as a sort of side project. The word bagel is Yiddish and comes from the German word boug, meaning "ring".  Traditional bagels are poached in a sweetened water solution before they are placed on sheet pans and baked in the oven. This process reduces the starch, which, in combination with the gluten-rich flour and the absence of fat, gives bagels their characteristic chewy texture. Poaching also contributes to the bagel's glossy finish.  

I happen to have a soft spot in my heart for everything bagels - there's just something almost magical about that perfect balance of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, garlic, onion, and sea salt. We topped our warm bagels with whipped cream cheese and smoked salmon that we made the day before.