Hart of Dixie Season 4 Episode #3 – The Very Good Bagel
“This bagel is so good. I forgot how good. I can’t get over this bagel. I want to marry this bagel” ~ Zoe Hart

You can take the girl out of New York but you can’t take New York out of the girl.
And that girl is Zoe Hart. She’s a fast talkin’, shoe-lovin’, big city doctor, played by Rachel Bison, who inherits her father’s half of a small town practice in the loveable, albeit, quirky town of Bluebell Alabama. Hart of Dixie is chock full of twang-y accents, southern belles, fabulous fashion, crazy antics, life-long friendships and great country music. But most importantly it has the seriously hot, and often shirtless, Wilson Bethel as Wade Kinsella. Wade may be a little less-refined then Zoe is used to but there is no shortage of fun watching these opposites attract.

In this episode, The Very Good Bagel, after learning that she’s pregnant, Wade misguidedly proposes sending Zoe straight to New York to visit her Mother.  She might be confused about her future with Wade, but she undeniably declares her love for the bagels. 

And who could blame her? New York style bagels are big, doughy bagels that get boiled before they’re baked which gives them a dense interior and their signature chewy exterior.  

I love this show. I love watching Wade and Zoe together. And I love LOVE these bagels.
You will too.
The Very Good Bagel:

Dough
1 tablespoon instant yeast

4 cups (17 ounces) Bread Flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon brown sugar, barley malt syrup or molasses

1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) water, lukewarm

Water Bath

8 cups/2 quarts water

2 tablespoons brown sugar or barley malt syrup

1 tsp salt

Directions

• Whisk together the 1 ½ cups of water, yeast, brown sugar or barely syrup, and salt together in a stand mixer. Attach the dough hook and add the flour
• Knead on medium-low speed for about 10 minutes. As bread flour has a higher protein it takes a little more time to develop the gluten.
• The dough will be quite stiff and supple and hold its shape when you stop the mixer. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for about an hour.
• When ready to make the bagels, line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper.
• Transfer the dough to a clean dry work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Work each piece into a smooth round ball. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes
• Prepare your water bath by placing all ingredients in a large wide pan and bring to a gentle boil and then reduce to a simmer.
• Pre-heat oven to 425.
• Poke a hole in the center of each ball and stretch until about 2 inches in diameter.
• Working about 4 bagels at a time, transfer to water bath cook for 2 minutes, then flip and cook for about another minute.

• Transfer from the water bath to the prepared baking sheet.
• If topping your bagels – whisk 1 egg with 1 tbsp of water. Brush the tops of the bagels with egg mixture and then sprinkle on your favorite topping ex – poppy-seed, sesame seeds, cinnamon crunch (combine ¼ cup each white sugar and brown sugar with 1 tbsp cinnamon)

• Bake bagels for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Rotate the pan at the 10 minutes mark. If bagel bottoms are browning too quickly place another baking sheet under your original baking sheet for the remainder of time.
• Cool completely on a wire rack.

The Very Good Bagel

2015-05-19 08:42:16

Yields 8

Delicious, Chewy, New York Style Bagels

Write a review

Save Recipe

Print

Prep Time

1 hr 45 min

Prep Time

1 hr 45 min

Ingredients

1. Dough
2. 1 tablespoon instant yeast
3. 4 cups (17 ounces) Bread Flour
4. 2 teaspoons salt
5. 1 tablespoon brown sugar, barley malt syrup or molasses
6. 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) water, lukewarm
7. Water Bath
8. 8 cups/2 quarts water
9. 2 tablespoons brown sugar or barley malt syrup
10. 1 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Whisk together the 1 ½ cups of water, yeast, brown sugar or barley syrup, and salt together in a stand mixer. Attach the dough hook and add the flour
2. Knead on medium-low speed for about 10 minutes. As bread flour has a higher protein it takes a little more time to develop the gluten.
3. The dough will be quite stiff and supple and hold its shape when you stop the mixer. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for about an hour.
4. When ready to make the bagels, line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper.
5. Transfer the dough to a clean dry work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Work each piece into a smooth round ball. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes
6. Prepare your water bath by placing all ingredients in a large wide pan and bring to a gentle boil and then reduce to a simmer.
7. Preheat oven to 425.
8. Poke a hole in the center of each ball and stretch until about 2 inches in diameter.
9. Working about 4 bagels at a time, transfer to water bath cook for 2 minutes, then flip and cook for about another minute.
10. Transfer from the water bath to the prepared baking sheet.
11. If topping your bagels – whisk 1 egg with 1 tbsp of water. Brush the tops of the bagels with egg mixture and then sprinkle on your favorite topping ex - poppy seed, sesame seeds, cinnamon crunch (combine ¼ cup each white sugar and brown sugar with 1tbsp cinnamon)
12. Bake bagels for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Rotate the pan at the 10 minutes mark. If bagel bottoms are browning too quickly place another baking sheet under your original baking sheet for the remainder of time.
13. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Notes

1. These require a significant amount of preparation time, but its totally worth it!

By Sandy

Fan Girls Cook http://fangirlscook.com/