Bagels: Alternative to cornmeal on the baking sheet?

Bagels: Alternative to cornmeal on the baking sheet? - Photo Of Windmills During Dawn

I'm making bagels for the first time ever and I assumed I had cornmeal... I don't. I have corn muffin mix but no cornmeal.

The instructions say to sprinkle cornmeal on the baking sheets. Is there another common kitchen ingredient that would work as well? Or, should I just use a bit of corn muffin mix?

EDIT: Now that I'm no longer in a panic, it occurs to me that I have polenta and grits. One of those would work well, right?

I used polenta... I wish I had used flour instead, though, b/c the polenta bits are pretty big. Corn meal is now on the grocery list, to be purchased before I make bagels again.



Best Answer

I wouldn't use corn muffin mix, as that has baking soda in it, might not be tasty! Use some flour. This works fine for pizza, so it should be good for bagels as well.




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Quick Answer about "Bagels: Alternative to cornmeal on the baking sheet?"

Polenta is probably your closest option to plain cornmeal.

What can I use instead of cornmeal for baking sheets?

Here are all of my 'next best' ideas for what to use when you're out of cornmeal.
  • Semolina. This is my absolute favorite non-corn-based substitute to use for so many reasons! ...
  • Ground oats. If you don't necessarily want the corn flavor, this would be a perfect substitute for texture. ...
  • Wheat flour. ...
  • Rice flour. ...
  • Ground flaxseed.


What can I use instead of cornmeal under bread?

The best alternatives are corn grits, semolina, ground oats, and breadcrumbs. Rice flour, wheat flour, and tapioca starch will work in a pinch as a cornmeal substitute. This will serve a similar purpose to cornmeal but you will not get the same texture or flavor in the final product.

How do you keep bagels from sticking to the pan?

If you insist on using the rack, perhaps a mist of cooking spray would help, before you place the bagels on. Once baked, you can remove them to the rack for cooking. They will not stick at that point. The thing is that this recipe calls for boiling water in the bottom of the tray, and then the wire rack over that.

How do you make bagels more dense?

You can boil your bagels for as little as 30 seconds, which will ensure a dense, chewy ring. Leave them in the water longer for something airier. \u201cIt's going to grow in the water, then it will continue to grow in the oven,\u201d Hamelman said.




More answers regarding bagels: Alternative to cornmeal on the baking sheet?

Answer 2

Cornmeal often has a firmer, "grainier" (for lack of a better word right now) texture than flour. I'd use the coarsest flour you have on hand as a substitute.

Answer 3

I would have tried using semolina, polenta, or grits. If the grind was too big you could always use a small coffee grinder to get it a bit finer.

Corn muffin mix generally has other additives like sugar, baking powder or soda, so you probably wouldn't have wanted to use that on the outside of your bagels!

Answer 4

Polenta is probably your closest option to plain cornmeal. In the past 3 hours, you probably could have run to the store, though :)

Answer 5

The reason most recipes like this recommend against cornmeal is that flour burns in the oven. However, I've found that if you use very small amounts of flour your baked good will turn out fine. In fact, it might provide a bit of character to the dish.

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