AP, you kindly helped me last time my bagels were coming out lumpy, and your suggestion to add oil to the water has had somewhat successful results. They are still not even nearly as smooth as Brugger’s, however. How do they do it? How can I bake my own beautiful, lump-free bagels?
ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: When you say lumpy (earlier, you said “bumpiness on the surface”), it now makes me think that the problem is more in the consistency of the dough rather than any surface treatment. I’d focus on the kneading process. After mixing the dough with a spoon or blender, you have to knead thoroughly, at least 10-15 minutes. Don’t cut corners: work hard to develop strong shoulder muscles! This should give the dough (as well as your shoulders) an elastic, uniform consistency, without lumps that show up on the surface.
Don’t worry about not shaping them perfectly (an issue you mentioned before). Authentic bagels should look like they were made by a human, not a machine.
Also, regarding the surface texture and color — and you certainly already know this — the boiling water (for the “poaching” stage) should contain sugar (some recipes call for barley malt syrup). This makes the nicely colored surface. Then, an egg glaze for the baking stage to make them shine.
The commercial bagelries certainly use industrial mixers, such as those made by Hobart, with dough hook attachments. These have about a thousand horsepower and will pull your arm out of it’s socket if it gets caught in there. They really pack a punch. See http://www.hobartcorp.com . This sort of cheating on the kneading process is probably why they get the super smooth consistency.