As I mentioned in last week’s column, I bake bagels in full-dozen batches even for our two-person household because they keep well. If the final few verge on stale, another pass through the oven creates delicious bagel chips.
When I bake Sourdough Bagels, I create a variety pack of flavors for a single batch of dough by sprinkling on toppings. Herb blends, seaweed flakes and finely grated cheeses stick best to just-boiled bagels, while they’re still steaming from the soda bath. Flavored salts also adhere well, and a light hand keeps the saltiness from becoming distracting. I wait to sprinkle on delicate toppings that might become overly dark, like lemon zest, until the final few minutes of baking.
Larger toppings, like minced roasted garlic and sesame or poppy seeds, stick to the surface better when you brush just-boiled bagels with an egg wash and garnish them immediately. If you aren’t making a bagel variety pack, sprinkle the seasonings on the stretched dough before your first fold so that they bake right into the bagels.
All of these toppings work on bagel chips too, but if I sprinkle them on, I end up with more bits on the baking sheet than the small bagel rounds. Instead, I mix bagel chip toppings into the oil and then toss the rounds in the mixture. This works particularly well with microplaned lemon zest and cheese.
You can make unseasoned bagel chips, especially if you piled on flavors when you first baked the dough, but don’t skip the oil; as with Twice-Baked Sourdough Pita Chips, it’s key to getting them crispy. But unlike pita chips, you coat both sides of the bagel rounds and then bake them longer at a lower temperature to prevent burning.
Store bagel chips in an airtight container to keep them crisp. If they soften, a few minutes in the oven restores their crunchiness. If they become too firm, spritz them lightly with water and wrap them in aluminum foil before you warm them.
If you need sourdough starter, request it in the Sharing fermented starters Facebook group.
Parmesan Sourdough Bagel Chips
Makes about 1 quart of chips
3 sourdough bagels
6 tablespoons olive oil
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
6 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
Cut each bagel in half from the top side straight downward. Slice approximately 1/8-inch-thick rounds off of each half.
In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil and lemon juice until they emulsify. Whisk in the lemon zest and cheese. Toss a handful of bagel rounds at a time in the oil mixture, until lightly coated. Spread the rounds on two large jellyroll pans in a single layer.
Bake at 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the chips are lightly brown. Eat warm or let cool for crisper chips. When completely cooled, seal in an airtight container or bag. The chips keep well for up to two weeks.
Julie Laing is a Bigfork-based cookbook author and food blogger. Learn more about this month’s sourdough workshops at TwiceAsTasty.com.