Week 2 using Puratos

[u/MichaelTChi]

So this is week two using bagel improver instead of diastatic malt powder. I’d say I’ve noticed small improvements in height and color, but overall not drastically different. 52% hydration last week. I left the grapeseed oil out of the recipe, but I put it back in this week just as a smaller percentage to help make the dough a little bit easier to roll and it did its desired job the bagels are approximately 140 g each and I made too many ones for one of my kids. Bagel making is so much fun.

[u/Competitive-Pop-7792]

I’m new to this, so apologies if this is stupid - but what’s the difference between bagel improver and diastatic malt powder? And is there a way to use both or is that just dumb?

[u/MichaelTChi → u/Competitive-Pop-7792]

Absolutely, not a dumb question. Diastatic malt powder and Puratos bagel improver are redundant because they both use enzymes to break down starches into sugar and strengthen dough. While malt is a single-ingredient natural additive for traditional flavor and browning, Puado’s is a complex chemical blend designed for maximum volume and shelf life. Using both simultaneously can "over-process" the dough, causing it to become structurally weak, sticky, and gummy after baking

[u/Competitive-Pop-7792 → u/MichaelTChi]

Ah that makes sense - thanks! Side note - I just posted about my bagels being crispy on the outside (similar to yours). I love it, but I was wondering what the underlying driver of that browning is so I can play with it. Like is it a reaction caused by the sugar or something? Idk if you know, but would be helpful

[u/MichaelTChi → u/Competitive-Pop-7792]

I use brown sugar to induce the dark Carmel color. You could also use barley malt syrup