Black Pepper Ham Cheese Bagel [NorthDing Oven Recipe]
The dough recipe is originally from the 'Topic Bagel' recipe of a Japanese specialty store, slightly modified. Since the original recipe includes honey, I replaced it with an equal amount of water. However, the flour I used is different from the one in the book, resulting in a relatively dry dough. How to describe it... it's just a tad drier than steamed bun dough. Although it's dry, it’s easy to handle. And it’s this low-hydration, oil-free dough that achieved the diamond texture after cooling, along with a crispy crust. Maybe because of the hot weather, I didn’t feel like eating anything overly sweet, so I added ham, cheese, and black pepper. After cooling down, I already ate three. It’s simply irresistible. The crispy crust and chewy dough combined with the savory ham and cheese taste incredible! This recipe makes 8 bagels. The method doesn’t demand high standards for the dough's gluten membrane, focusing on two words: 'smooth finish.' Note ⚠️ The diamond texture is somewhat elusive. Factors influencing it include flour absorption variability, low dough hydration, fermentation dryness, boiling sugar water duration, and baking temperature and time. The crispy crust naturally forms cracks upon cooling. Even I need luck to perfect it. It’s okay if the diamond texture isn’t achieved; the chewy deliciousness is what matters most.
Ingredients
Steps
First, put all the dough ingredients except the ham and cheese into the mixing bowl. ⚠️ For high-gluten flour, I used Nisshin Camellia, and for whole wheat flour, I used Queen T150.
Mix on low speed until no dry flour remains. It will look dry like this, and that’s normal.
Continue kneading on high speed until the surface of the dough is smooth. No need to check for gluten membrane thinness.
Shape the dough into a round ball, cover with plastic wrap, and put it in the fridge for cold fermentation for 40 minutes. Be sure to cover tightly to prevent the dough from being exposed to air in the fridge, which will cause a hard surface layer. The recipe states: 'This allows the flour to merge better with the water, creating a smoother dough.'
After 40 minutes, take it out. The volume will expand slightly.
Take it out, directly divide it, deflate it, and shape into 8 rounds. The dough might feel a bit dry, and the seams may not seal tightly, but that’s okay as long as the surface remains smooth. The low hydration is the key to creating the diamond pattern.
I used a piece of fermentation cloth moistened and wrung out to cover the dough. Alternatively, you can directly cover it with plastic wrap and let it rest for 10 minutes at room temperature.
While the dough is resting, cut the cheese and sausages into small cubes. I used black pepper-flavored sausages and red cheddar cheese that melts beautifully after baking. If no cheddar cheese is available, supermarket cheese slices torn into small pieces will work just fine.
Take one rested dough piece, with the seam side facing down.
Roll it out into a rectangle approximately 13*20cm.
Flip it over so the smooth side is facing up, and place ham and cheese on half of the rectangle.
Fold it downward, pressing out any air pockets as you go.
Continue folding downward.
Until it’s fully sealed.
Repeat the above steps for the rest. Cover the rolled dough with a damp cloth or plastic wrap to prevent drying.
Take the first rolled dough piece.
Gently stretch it to about 20cm long.
Flatten one end.
Twist the dough into one loop. Twisting the dough helps prevent the bottom seam from bursting open, which is a helpful shaping technique for low-hydration doughs.
Form a circle and tuck the end under the loop, pinching to seal.
Seal the seam securely.
Place the dough seam-side down on parchment paper to prevent sticking. You'll lift it off later to boil.
Place the dough in a proofing box at 35°C and 75% humidity for 30 minutes.
Let rise until about 1.5 times in size. Over-proofing can cause wrinkles or collapse.
Preheat your oven beforehand. My NorthDing oven has a stronger top heat, so I reduced it by 20°C. For regular ovens, you can set both upper and lower heat to 200°C. For convection ovens, set to 185°C.
As the dough nears the end of its rise, boil the sugared water and keep it at a near-boiling state.
Fully proofed dough will feel dry and firm to the touch, allowing you to handle it easily.
Boil one side of the dough for 30 seconds.
Flip and boil the other side for another 30 seconds.
Drain excess water and place the bagels on a baking sheet. The surface will appear slightly wrinkled after boiling.
While the surface is still wet, sprinkle freshly ground black pepper and coarse sea salt.
Place the dough in the lower-middle rack and bake for about 22 minutes. For convection ovens, bake for approximately 18 minutes.
Fresh out of the oven, the bagel surface will be smooth.
After cooling, beautiful diamond patterns will appear – exclusively with low-hydration doughs.
When sliced, the cheddar cheese will have melted. Savory and delicious!