I want to make bagels. The recipe I've used successfully in the past calls for vital wheat gluten and malt powder (the person who gave me the recipe long ago was very clear that this was powder and not syrup). VWG I've got, malt powder I do not.

Can I substitute for or do without the malt powder?

By Ladycake (Ladycake) on Wednesday, September 01, 2004 - 04:39 pm: Edit

You can buy it from King Arthur if you can't get it locally. I have done bagels successfully, just leaving it out. No Problem!

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Wednesday, September 01, 2004 - 07:37 pm: Edit

ditto.

By Scott123 (Scott123) on Friday, September 03, 2004 - 10:25 pm: Edit

A good bagel has malt. There is no substitution.

By Steve9389 (Steve9389) on Monday, September 06, 2004 - 07:12 pm: Edit

I tried it without malt powder. It came out OK, but was definitely missing something.

By Corey (Corey) on Tuesday, September 07, 2004 - 01:18 pm: Edit

Bagels

18 Servings
5 1/2 Cup Flour all purpose, approx.
2 Cup Water hot (120-130 deg)
2 Pkg Yeast dry
3 1/2 Qt Water with 1 Tbs. of malt syrp
1 Tbl Sugar
1 Egg white beaten, mixed wit
1 Tbl Salt
1 Toppings (onion garlic, pop
2 Tbl Malt syrup
3 1/2 qt Water with 1 Tbs. of malt syrup in it ::
1 ea Egg white,~ beaten, mixed with 1 tsp. water ::
1 ea Toppings (onion, garlic,~ poppy or sesame seed...)

MIXING, KNEADING, AND 1ST RISE: Mix all dry
ingredients, including yeast, thoroughly. Mix malt syrup and water.
Make sure the temperature is between 120 and 130 degrees. Add hot
water mixture and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon or your hand.
When is blended together, remove from bowl and knead (By hand: 10
minutes. By food processor: 1 minute). Add a little flour if too
wet. . .a little water if too dry. Place in clean, greased bowl,
cover tightly and allow to rise until doubled in volume, about 1hour).
Punch down.

PREPARATION: Boil water with 1 T. malt syrup in large pan (The malt syrup makes the bagels shine). Prepare cookie sheet sprinkled with corn meal or polenta. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

SHAPING AND 2ND RISE: Either (1) Flatten and cut into eighteen 6" strips, or (2) Divide dough into 18 pieces, each a little larger than a golf ball (whichever shaping method tickles your fancy).
Allow dough to relax for 5 minutes. If you chose #1, join the 2 ends together. If you chose #2, flatten the dough ball with palm of hand.
Poke a hole in the middle, push finger through, and swing around on your finger until the hole looks large enough (remember that the hole will get smaller during the water bath). Cover with cloth and allow to rise slightly for 10 minutes, no more (It will rise more in the water bath).

WATER BATH: Just before bagels are ready to cook, reduce the heat under the water to a gentle bubble. Drop bagels with a skimmer or a slotted spatula or spoon into water bath. Only do 4 or 5 at a time (so they have enough room to expand a little). With the water at a simmer, cook 2 minutes on one side, flip it over and cook 1 minute on the other. Remove from water bath, drain momentarily on a paper towel, and place on cookie sheet.

BAKING, EGG WASH, TOPPINGS: Place cookie sheet of bagels into oven, middle shelf, and bake for 10 minutes. Remove and brush with egg wash (egg white beaten with 1 tsp. cold water). Sprinkle topping of choice on top (sauteed onions or garlic, soaked (reconstituted) dehydrated onions onions or garlic, Kosher salt, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, what have you), and return to the oven. Bake another 5 to 10 minutes, turning them over 3 or 4 minutes before they are done.

Cool on a rack.

Variation: Add rum soaked raisins to dough before kneading. Top with cinnamon sugar during baking.