Soft and Chewy Pork Floss Bagels (Yudane/Tangzhong)
Course: Bread
Cuisine: Asian Fusion
Prep Time: 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 15 minutesminutes
Resting and proofing the dough twice:: 2 hourshours
Total Time: 2 hourshours30 minutesminutes
Servings: 6bagels
Calories: 332kcal
Author: Marvellina
Bagels with softness that last for days thanks to the yudane/tangzhong, thin crispy crust, and the right amount of chewiness. The bagels are filled with spicy pork floss filling. They are so delicious and our family's favorites. The recipe also includes sourdough options.
I usually make double or triple the amount of yudane because it's hard to effectively mix a tiny amount of flour with hot water. Measure out 80 gr bread flour in a bowl. Bring 90 grams of water to a boil. I usually boil 10 grams extra than what I need to account for evaporation during boiling. When water comes to a boil, don’t turn it off yet, let it boil for another minute or two to make sure it reaches boiling temperature. Use a thermometer if you have one. I make sure it’s at least 212 F/100 C
Pour the hot water into a heatproof bowl and then add all of the flour you have measured at once. Keep stirring using a sturdy spatula until all the starches are gelatinized by the hot water. You will get a sticky dough
Let it cool down to about 122F/50 C. Wrap it with a cling wrap that I lightly sprayed with non-stick spray and let it sit on the counter if you will be using it in 4 hours later or in the fridge for the next day. They can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. The longer you rest the yudane, the better the quality of your bread
If using sourdough starter:
I recommend using a starter that is at least one month old and consistently doubles or triples in 4-6 hours when you feed it at 1:1:1 ratio. Young starter will not give the best result
Prepare your levain the day/night before, depending on your schedule. Since I know I will be baking the next day, I will prepare more starter the night before. I will feed at 1:5:5 ratio so it will last me until the next morning, about 10 hours to double or triple at 75-77 F (24-25C). This also depends on the strength of your starter and the room temperature the starter is at. It may be faster or longer.I use 15 grams starter + 75 grams flour + 75 grams water. I usually prepare a bit more as some may get stuck to the glass jar, spatula, etc. You will have a bit of leftover for your next feeding and use 140 grams of the levain for the recipe
Prepare the dough:
Measure out 80 grams of yudane. Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Tear in the yudane pieces. Add the commercial yeast or sourdough starter. Add water and and use the dough hook to roughly combine
Start kneading on the lowest speed for 2 minutes and then increase to speed 2 for 2 minutes and then increase to speed 4 and knead until you get a mass of dough that is smooth and elastic, but we don't need to reach windowpane here.
First proof:
I decided to amend this recipe and give the dough two proofs instead of one. From several batches that I have made, the family prefers the double-proofing bagels. They have better flavor and airier crumbs.
Lightly oil the bowl and let the dough ferment until it is puffy and double in size. This may take 45 minutes to 1 hour at warm temperature. If you are using sourdough starter, it may take about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. It took mine a bit less than 2 1/2 hours.
Prepare the filling:
Mix all the ingredients for the filling, cover and set aside
Preshaping:
Transfer the dough to your work surface. Knock out the gas from the dough. and divide into 6 equal pieces. Round them up into tight balls. Cover with a damp cloth and let them rest again for 15 minutes
Cut out about 6 pieces of 4 x 4 inches of parchment paper
Final shaping:
Work with one dough at a time and keep the rest covered with a damp towel to prevent them from drying out. Roll the dough out into a rectangle, about 4 x 8 inches. Scoop some of the filling and put on the longer side. Fold the dough over to cover the filling and then continue to roll up to the other end to form roughtly an 8 inch log. Pinch the seam to seal. Flatten one end using a rolling pin and then join the two ends together and wrap the flatten part over the dough to seal. Place the seam side down on a parchment paper and put this on a baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling
Final proofing:
Cover the shaped bagels with damp towels and keep in a warm place, around 82 F (28 C) is ideal. Let them proof until puffy. This may take about 30 minutes to 45 minutes or a bit longer, depending on the temperature. It takes about 3- 3 1/2 hours with a strong active starter
If you gently push on the dough it will bounce back very slowly and leave a bit of indentation. The dough also feels very light and puffy. These are signs that the dough is ready to be boiled
Boil the bagels:
Preheat oven to 425 F (218 C) for a conventional oven. If you have a convection oven, lower the temperature by 20 F or 15 C. Fill a large pot with water. Add honey and bring the water to a boil. When it boils, add the baking soda. Baking soda helps to brown the bagel nicely
Pick up the bagel by the parchment paper and gently drop it into the water. The parchment paper will detach from the bagel on its own, remove from the water. I recommend to boil 2-3 at a time. Boil for about 20 - 30 seconds per side. The longer you boil, the chewier they get. I like it at around 20 seconds, not too chewy. If you like it chewy, boil a bit longer
Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon or skimmer and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If you want to put any topping, this is the time to do that. I sprinkle with some shredded sharp cheddar
Bake the bagels:
Place the baking sheet on the middle rack and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown
Cooling down:
Transfer to a cooling rack to let them cool down completely