I don’t have a very compelling argument for making bagels at home. If you live in New York, amazing bagels are cheap and available. Making a good bagel at home requires buying two ingredients you probably don’t have, malt (malt syrup is available at Whole Foods and malt powder is available at King Arthur) and unbleached high gluten flour (available at King Arthur Flour). If you think you’re going to do most of the kneading in your Kitchen-aid. Wrong. That’s what I thought until the engine of my Professional Series 6 Quart started smoking, and then it took me about 20 minutes of heavy kneading. First I was cursing, then praying, then wishing I was stronger. Taller would have helped with more leverage over the strong dough. (Actually, it feels like some hunky biceps by the time it’s done.)
