How we make the kabocha and black sesame bagel
The kabocha and black sesame bagel is the only item on the Bold Citadel menu that changes year to year. The base process is the same as every other bagel we make, but incorporating a wet ingredient like roasted squash into a stiff bagel dough requires some adjustments that took a full season to work out.
Starting with the kabocha
Kabocha squash has a lower water content than most Western pumpkin varieties, which is one reason it works in a bagel dough. A high-moisture squash would add too much water to the dough and make it difficult to develop the tight gluten structure a bagel needs. Kabocha, roasted until the flesh is dry at the edges, adds flavour and colour without significantly changing the dough hydration.
The squash is halved, seeded, and roasted cut-side down at 200 degrees Celsius until the flesh is soft and slightly caramelised at the edges. It is then scooped, mashed, and weighed. We use approximately 18% of the flour weight in roasted kabocha, which is the maximum the dough can absorb while still holding its shape through the boil.
Incorporating the squash into the dough
The kabocha is added after the initial mixing, once the gluten has started to develop. Adding it at the beginning would interfere with gluten formation. The dough is mixed for an additional four minutes after the squash is incorporated, which is enough to distribute it evenly without breaking down the gluten network.
The colour of the finished dough is a warm orange, which deepens slightly during the cold retard overnight. By the time the bagels come out of the oven, the crumb is a deep amber-orange that is visible when you slice the bagel open.
The black sesame coating
Black sesame seeds are toasted dry in a pan before use. The toasting brings out a slightly bitter, roasted quality that contrasts with the sweetness of the squash. The seeds are pressed into the shaped dough before boiling, using the same method as the white sesame bagel, so they bond to the crust rather than sitting loosely on the surface.
The kabocha special is available through October and into early November, depending on supply. When the squash runs out, the special is finished until next autumn.