When experienced bread bakers like Peter Reinhart give you explicit instructions, it’s time to stop making up crap and listen up. Yes, yes, we all like to experiment in the kitchen. But seriously, stop. Take a deep breath. Remember bad things happen to those wander aimlessly in the wild frontier. Or, if you’re like me and walking in the rose garden sounds too tame, forge your own path and discover why you are wrong wrong W-R-O-N-G.

I arrived in the kitchen this morning a bit off my game. Sure, I lowered the oven rack and solved the dough consistency problem I bitched about last time (more on that later); I even obtained a nice OXO silicon basting brush and did a fair job at topping my bagels. But I was feeling a bit tired and juggling dinner prep, photography, phone conversations, cleaning, and baking. At times, I walked away from important steps or left things where they were even after the timer went off. Lesson No 1: mise en place, “everything in its place.”

Or, as I prefer, “Get organized!” Baking requires attention and care. If your mind is elsewhere, save yourself some time and come back later.

So what went wrong, you ask? Let me count the ways…

1. The bagels fell—meaning they did not hold their shape and the bottoms flattened instead of maintaining their spring.
2. The bagels were shaped with very large, wide holes but the dough actually contracted fairly quickly when left on a flat surface! (How dare it!) The holes were again very small or non-existent.
3. There was no overt separation of the ends during shaping. However, as the dough expanded, imperfections in the joint expanded and "broke open."
4. Being lazy and distracted, I did not prep a separate baking sheet for Step 6 and instead used the same baking sheet from Step 4. This shortcut actually cost me more time in the kitchen as the workflow was terrible.
5. I did not properly prepare (with oil or flour) the parchment paper lining the baking sheet. Consequently, the dough stuck to the paper and I was forced to use a metal spatula to quickly slip under and lift the bagel. This workaround may have actually caused the bagel to deflate a bit after the second rise.

Not everything was in vain. The bagels still tasted great and, as you can see in the picture, they look quite delicious. There are, however, a few considerations for future bagelage enterprises:

1. In Peter Reinhart's words: the "dough should be firm and not sticky; if not, add more flour or water as needed." The dough was most certainly still sticky when I set it aside for the first rise. In fact, I'm fairly certain I didn't add all of the 7 Tbsps of additional flour called for in the final dough. Why? If you remember my comments from last time, the dough did not respond well to shaping—the rolling and pressing together necessary to create a torus. I partially attributed this problem to an excessively stiff dough. However, by adding less flour, I may have created more problems for myself rather than less. The wetness of the dough may have hindered the bagel's ability to hold its shape, which was a major problem in this batch. So next time, err on the side of firm rather than wet.
2. Rereading the recipe again, I notice a small (overlooked) comment tucked away under a series of pictures titled Shaping Bagels: "Roll the ends on a damp work surface to seal the bagel closed." The key word here is damp, as in water. In the first attempt, I used a dry surface; in the second, I used an oiled surface. But if I apply a little thought to the problem, it is glaringly obvious that H₂O should be the superior sealant. Duh!
3. Always use two baking sheets lined with parchment paper—one for the second rise and another for the oven. Both parchment papers should be cut to size and sprayed on the bottom with a little oil to help prevent the parchment paper from sliding around. The first parchment paper should be topped with a little flour, the second with more oil. Do not skip this step! The separate baking sheets permit a smooth workflow in the kitchen, and the oil/flour are necessary to prevent burning and sticking.
4. Rehydrated onion flakes perform fabulously as a topping. After 15-20 minutes of baking time, however, you may need to cover the bagels with a sheet of foil to prevent excessive browning on the top.

An important lesson can perhaps be drawn from this experience: when baking, implement small changes (like damp surfaces) before grasping at more drastic measures (like increasing dough wetness). Hurrah!