Montreal/St. Viateur Style Bagels

In a bowl, add the flour, yeast, sugar, and malt powder, and mix together. Then add the egg, water, and vegetable oil mix until the dough is formed. Turn dough out onto your work surface and knead until sufficient gluten has developed. The dough will be very firm. Do not add more water as the dough needs to be firm and close textured.

Cover dough and bench rest for 45 minutes.

After this rest period, divide dough into 13 equal pieces. Roll each piece into 12-inch logs, making sure the entire log is approximately the same circumference.

Once rolled, grab one end, wrap the other end around your hand, overlapping and joining the two ends of the dough together in the palm of your hand. Press and roll the joined ends on your counter surface in a back and forth motion, using your palms, making sure both ends are sealed together.

Place each formed bagel into parchment-lined, cornmeal dusted baking sheet.

There are 2 options after this point:

1)  Immediate bake:

Add barley malt syrup, or honey, or sorghum syrup into a pot of water. Boil over high heat. Lower heat to a slow boil. Carefully place three or 4 bagels into the water. Let one side cook for 1 minute, then carefully flip bagels and cook for another minute. Carefully take out each bagel with a slotted spoon and place back into cornmeal dusted baking sheet. Sprinkle with desired topping while bagel is wet. Repeat with the rest of the bagels.

Bake in Cru oven, directly on the stone

Light your Cru oven and continue to feed the fire until oven reaches approximately 400-550F. Scrape coals to the back of the oven to make the largest cooking surface away from the coals as possible. Cover the oven opening with pizza (half) door. Start with 3 bagels only to get a feel for how quickly they will brown and bake. Place bagels on your peel and launch into the oven. Try and place approximately in the middle from of the stone three across. Monitor bagels as they cook and turn about every 2-4 minutes until browned. Like pizza once you get comfortable you can manipulate bagels around the oven with your peel or spinner like a pizza for increased or decreased browning.

2) Overnight dough retarding:

Cover bagels securely and refrigerate overnight. When ready to boil, take bagels out of refrigerator. There is no need to let them come to room temperature. Follow directions for boiling above and bake in the Cru oven.