Bagel Rolls

We had a vegan chewey roll recipe. We found that by using some converted beer malt, we got something very close to a good bagel or pretzel. Working on altering this recipe (adding a boiling stage) to make bagels or pretzels.

Pre-heat a 1 to 1.5 liter wide-mouth thermos with boiling water.
pour out water, and add about 150g crushed malt, and then add nearly boiling water to bring the temperature to about 155F.
Seal the thermos, and let sit for about 90 minutes.
We hope that the final temperature of the thermos will be above 135F.

Heat 1 cups soy milk to scalding.

Combine in small bowl:

1/4 c lukewarm malt liquid, from thermos
Just pour off thin part. Some grain is OK. let cool to about 105 to 110F
2 Tbsp yeast
1/4 tsp sugar

Let sit 5 minutes.

Pour soymilk into a bowl containing:

1/4 c margarine or oil (or butter or lard/schmaltz for non-vegans?)
2-3 Tbsp brown sugar
1.5 tsp salt

Allow to cool to at 105F or lower.
Add yeast, then stir in 1.5 c flour and beat 200 times.
Let rest 5-10 minutes, then add 4 c flour and beat well.

Start mixing with your hands, then knead in about 1 c more flour until it has bread dough consistency. Knead 5 minutes.

Put in a well-oiled bowl and let rise 1 hour.

Punch down, form pretzels, bagels, or rolls.
let rise 1/2 hour

For rolls:

put on oiled sheet, and bake at 375F for about 20 minutes.
brush with margarine or oil.

Optional experimental bagel method:

boil bagels or pretzels for 60-90 seconds in about 1/2 gallon water with 1 c baking soda (and perhaps some salt).
some sugar in the water may also help the browing reaction.
Traditional recipes use a lye (sodium hydroxide) bath, so I think it is important to get the pH as high as it gets with baking soda. Saturated alkalinity, but with some buffering to last through the batch.
Baking the soda for about an hour around 250 to 300F may change it into soduim carbonate (washing soda instead of baking soda) which is a stronger base. This can help.

I have seen suggestions of a cold-dip in (stronger?) lye for pretzels, but the boil for bagels.

Put topings on ... salt for pretzels, other things for bagels.
egg wash may be nice.
place on oiled cookie sheet
Bake at 450F for about 10 minutes.

original recipe:

Heat 2 cups soy milk to scalding. Pour into bowl containing:

1/4 c margarine or oil
1/2 c sugar
1.5 tsp salt

Combine in small bowl:

1/4 c lukewarm water
2 Tbsp yeast
1/4 tsp sugar

Let sit 5 minutes. After soymilk has cooled, add yeast, then add 1.5 c flour and beat 200 times. Let rest 5-10 minutes, then add 4 c flour and beat well.

Start mixing with your hands, then knead in about 1 c more flour until it has bread dough consistency. Knead 5 minutes.

Put in a well-oiled bowl and let rise 1 hour.

Punch down, form rolls, placed on oiled cookie sheet. let rise 1/2 hour.
Bake at 375F for about 20 minutes. brush with margarine or oil.

here's a bavarian recipe, to compare pretzel lye treatment technuqie:

500 grams flour
1 packet rapid rise yeast
1 teaspoon salt
200-250 milliliters hot water (almost boiling)
60 grams baking soda
1 liter of water
Coarse kosher salt (for sprinkling just before baking)

Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C)

In a food processor with dough-blade attachment, mix yeast, hot water, salt and flour.
Place into a bowl and cover with a moist kitchen towel. Let the dough rise for about two hours.

Form dough into pretzels, rolls or whatever shape you prefer.

Mix baking soda into water and bring to a boil. Dip pretzels for 30 seconds to a minute,
turn and leave in the solution for another 30 seconds.
Take them out carefully with a slotted spoon and dry off, patting with a paper towel.
Place onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with salt.

Bake for about 14-20 minutes, until "nice and brown."

Important: Avoid touching the dough after dipping it into the baking soda mixture,
and keep it off of aluminum surfaces. It's not lye, but it's still corrosive.

Aaron Birenboim

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