Mini Sourdough Oatmeal Blueberry Egg Bagels and Bagel Loaf

Evening Day 1:

Prepare the Potato Water

Peel potatoes and cut into large chunks, boil in 2.1/2 cups water until tender.

Drain but reserve 2 cups of the potato water. Let cool until lukewarm. Use the potato for other purposes.

Start the Pate Fermentee

Add all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and mix using a wooden spoon or Danish dough whisk until just smooth.  Allow the preferment to sit at room temperature for 14-18 hours, depending on the temperature in your kitchen.

Afternoon or Evening Day 2:

In a large bowl using a Danish dough whisk or the work bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine 250 grams (2 cups) AP flour, all of the emmer flour, oats, and salt.

Add potato water, honey, and oil. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add 100 grams of the AP flour and the eggs and beat again for 2 minutes.

Add the remaining flour, 50 grams at a time, until a soft dough forms that just clears the side of the bowl. Switch from the paddle to the dough hook and knead for 2-3 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and springy.

Add in the dried blueberries gradually until thoroughly mixed in the dough.

Switch to using your hands and a bowl scraper when necessary, if mixing by hand. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead in the dried blueberries until evenly dispersed throughout the dough.

Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.  Then complete a couple of folds and turns.   Only dust with flour to prevent sticking.

Place dough in a deep container. Cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rise for 2-3 hours.

Cover tightly and place the bowl in the refrigerator.  Allow the dough to cold ferment in the refrigerator overnight, 8-12 hours.

Morning Day 3: 

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to warm up to room temperature for 2-3 hours, depending on the temperature in your kitchen.

To form the egg bagels:

Gently deflate the dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into quarters. Then each quarter into 6-8 equal portions. I shaped mine into 16 balls (~64 grams each) and used the remaining 700 grams for the bagel loaf. 

Shape each portion into a smooth round. Flatten with your palm and poke a floured finger through the middle of the ball. Stretch the hole with your finger to make it about 1 inch in diameter. Spin the dough around your finger. The hole will shrink slightly when you stop.

Alternately, roll the ball out into a log and wrap around your hand.  Press the ends together securely.

Form all bagels. They will need no further rise at this point.

20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Grease or parchment line 2 baking sheets. Meanwhile, bring a large pot (3-4 quarts) of water to a boil. Add 1 Tbsp baking soda, 1.1/2 Tbsp barley malt powder, and 1 tsp or more of salt to the boiling water. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle low boil.

With a slotted spatula, lower 3-4 bagels at a time into the gently boiling water. They will drop to the bottom and then rise to the surface. As they come to the surface, turn each bagel and boil it for 3 minutes on the other side. This goes very quickly, if you are making the entire batch of bagels, use a second pot of boiling water.

Remove the bagels from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and place each 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. When all the bagels have been boiled, brush with the glaze and sprinkle with the seeds if desired. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes (less if making mini bagels like I did) or until deep golden. Transfer the bagels immediately to a cooling rack.

To form and bake the bagel loaf:

In step 5  turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 3 equal portions. Form into a loaf and place in 3 greased 8.5-inch loaf pan.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rise at room temperature until just level with the tops of the pans. (These loaves will rise a lot in the oven) about 40 minutes.

20 minutes before baking preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C)

Brush the tops with egg glaze and using kitchen shears, or a lame (pronounced lahm) carefully snip the top of the dough about ½” deep at 2” intervals down the center of the loaf.

Bake in the center of the preheated oven until crusty, golden brown, and the top sounds hollow when tapped with your finger, 40-45 minutes. Transfer the loaves to a cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing.