Flour Power

Bagels only use 5 ingredients: flour, water, yeast, malt, and salt, so find the best! Let’s focus on the main ingredient: flour.

I use high-gluten flour (12 to 14 percent gluten for every four ounces of flour) because gluten is the super protein that makes bagels resilient, thick crusted, and full of fresh grain flavor. The protein content should be listed on the nutritional label on the side of most packaged flours. I made the mistake yesterday of using all-purpose flour thinking it was no big deal…. but the bagels were a floppy disaster that I had to compost. That said, all-purpose flour is great for other purposes, like soft loaves of bread, pizza, or cookies.

Other considerations I factor into my flour choices: I never use chemically bleached flours; I look for “unbleached.” Also, I look for organic flour, which unfortunately becomes rancid quickly in warm temperatures, so make sure it has been stored in a cool section of the grocery store and in your home. If left at room temperature (instead of 50-60 degrees F), oils can turn your flour rancid within 2 months. Pick a shop with a fast turnover in flour sales to ensure you are getting the freshest flour.