Polish Starter Method
Bread flour – 50g Cold water – 50g Fresh yeast – 3g Dough PartBread Flour 450g
Granulated Sugar 15g Fresh Yeast (Dried yeast amount divided by 3) 15g Salt 5g Ice Water / Ice Milk 230gCondensed Milk
15g Polish Starter (Poolish) 100g Coconut Oil / Unsalted Butter 15g 【Coloring Part】 Beetroot Powder (for pink color, optional) 5gPistachio Paste (use for green coloring, can be omitted if not available) 3 grams [Filling Section] [Purple Sweet Potato Milk Butter] Makes 4 servings Purple Sweet Potato Powder (can substitute with black sesame powder or matcha powder for different flavors) 5 grams Coconut Oil / Unsalted Butter
20 grams Milk Powder 28 grams Water / Milk 6 grams White Granulated Sugar 7 grams 【Mustard Pork Floss】
Yellow mustard sauce
Appropriate amount Ketchup Appropriate amount Pork floss Appropriate amount 【Pistachio Dark Chocolate】 Dark chocolate drops Appropriate amountSyrup Section
Water: 1000ml White Sugar: 50g Place all ingredients for the Polish starter into a cup. Refrigerate overnight or leave at room temperature for 3-4 hours. This is the developed Polish starter. It has risen from the bottom to the top, indicating successful fermentation. This Japanese-style bread flour has a pleasant aroma and will not yield a taste similar to steamed buns. I have also used high-gluten flour from Hetao, which is excellent as well. Both have a protein content of over 14%. When making bread, choose flour with high protein content. (This is not an advertisement; it is purely a cost-effective recommendation.) Place all dough ingredients along with the Polish starter into the bread maker. Knead until well combined. If a bread maker is unavailable, kneading by hand is also acceptable. (If you have not prepared the Polish starter, add an additional 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of water to the dough portion.)The photo shows blueberry bagels, but original flavor bagels were not photographed, so ignore the blueberries. Knead the dough and adjust the color according to personal preference by incorporating the coloring portion into the dough. If you prefer simplicity, making original flavor bagels is also beautiful. I divided the dough into three colors, portioned according to 85 grams per bagel. Divide the dough into 85-gram portions, roll them into balls, and let them rest for 20 minutes. This recipe yields 10 bagels. I made these in summer when temperatures were over 30°C, and the dough rose quickly. By the time I finished shaping the last red dough ball, the first white one had already risen significantly, so shaping can proceed immediately without waiting for fermentation. If making a larger batch, it is recommended to work in an air-conditioned room or in winter for more stable fermentation. While the dough rests, prepare the milk crisp filling. Simply mix all ingredients together. The butter should be placed at the bottom and softened before use. This is the purple sweet potato version, which smells very fragrant. The matcha version follows the same method. If you are sensitive to bitterness, reduce matcha powder to 3 grams and add 3 grams more milk powder. (Matcha milk crisp filling tends to leak easily, so beginners should avoid it. If you wish to try, do not roll the dough too thin, and ensure the seams are tightly sealed!) The prepared milk crisp filling. Do not knead the rested dough again. Directly flatten it with a rolling pin into a rectangle about 15 cm long and 10 cm wide, then add the filling. Here I used heat-resistant chocolate chips, which my son likes. If you do not have these at home, you can substitute with red beans, dried fruits, cream cheese filling, etc.
Wrap the filling tightly, thin out the bottom, then roll it up. Pinch the seam firmly; it must be sealed tightly to prevent leakage. Roll out the tail, wrap it around to meet the head, and form a circle. Remember to pinch it tightly as well! Let the shaped bagels ferment for 20-30 minutes. Do not over-ferment; they should feel slightly light. Once proofed, cook them in sugar water. For the purple sweet potato milk crumble filling, wrap it using the same method. The beetroot powder coloring looks really beautiful! The fermented bagels in summer tend to become a bit puffy at room temperature. For the yellow mustard and pork floss version, squeeze yellow mustard, add pork floss and ketchup, then wrap. (This photo was taken while making blueberry bagels; I substituted green mustard for ketchup as my husband preferred it. Follow the recipe, and use the image as a reference. Please disregard any discrepancies.) Blueberry bagels made in winter: after 25 minutes of proofing, they do not turn as puffy as in summer. This shows that temperature greatly affects the dough. Adjust fermentation time based on the temperature.
Bring the sugar water to a gentle simmer over low heat. Place the bagel into the water and cook for 20 seconds on each side, then remove and drain. Preheat the oven for 5 minutes. Place the drained bagel on a baking tray, add desired toppings such as oatmeal flakes or sesame seeds, then bake in the middle rack at 200°C (top and bottom heat) for 20 minutes. Bagels made in summer, plump in shape. Cross-section of purple sweet potato milk custard filling. Blueberry bagels made in winter, less plump, resembling doughnuts. Milk custard filling, incredibly fragrant with every bite. Black sesame milk custard filling, also very aromatic; after eating one, it feels like hair has grown thicker. Had a matcha milk custard bagel late at night; matcha lovers should not miss it. I used Guizhou matcha powder, which is truly aromatic, comparable to the Fifty铃 brand at a more affordable price. However, matcha powder is slightly bitter, so do not add too much.
If you cannot finish the bread, seal it in a bag and store it in the freezer. This prevents the texture from becoming stale. When ready to eat, simply thaw it at room temperature. For optimal results, briefly reheat it in an oven for a few minutes; it will taste as if freshly baked.
