Bagels with that perfect chew came from not rushing the rise

Letting the dough chill overnight (I'm so impatient) was the trick. They boiled up with a nice, shiny crust in the end.

3 comments

3 Comments

Actually, rushing the dough doesn't make it tougher, it makes it dense and gummy. The long, cold rise lets the flavor develop and gives you that good chewy pull. Skipping it is the real reason bagels turn out like hockey pucks. Your patience was the whole point of the post.

vera4822mo ago

Does rushing it really make them that much tougher? I fought the urge to skip the chill too (so hard) and mine came out great.

thomasm402mo ago

Totally, @vera482, that patience pays off big time. Rushing just sets you up for a chewy mess instead of the perfect texture you got.