The Late-Night Wood-Fired Pizza Bagel

Name: The Late-Night Wood-Fired Pizza Bagel
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 600 g high-gluten bread flour; 340 g warm water; 1 1/2 tsp diastatic malt powder; 2 tsp kosher salt; 1 1/2 tsp instant yeast; 4 l water; 1 1/2 tbsp non-diastatic barley malt syrup; 28 oz DOP San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes; 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1 tsp kosher salt; 6 large fresh basil leaves; 1 small clove garlic; 4 large low-moisture whole milk deli mozzarella slices; 2 oz cup-and-char pepperoni; 1 tbsp Pecorino Romano; 1 pinch dried oregano

Chapter 1 — Making the Bagels: The Foundational Matrix

The pizza bagel occupies a highly contested space in the American culinary canon, representing the literal marriage of the Eastern European Jewish bagel and the Italian Neapolitan pizza. Forget the microwaveable freezer-aisle tragedies of your youth; the authentic version is a masterpiece of contrasting textures. Here, a dense, malt-boiled, cold-proofed New York crust meets the vibrant acidity of raw San Marzano tomatoes and blistered, high-quality deli mozzarella, finished under a blazing broiler to mimic the rapid char of a wood-fired oven.

Before you start

Prepare the raw Neapolitan pizza sauce before you begin the final assembly.
In a large bowl, mix the hand-crushed San Marzano tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, torn basil, and garlic paste. Let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, and never cook it on the stove.

Ingredients

high-gluten bread flour600 g
warm water340 g
diastatic malt powder1 1/2 tsp
kosher salt2 tsp
instant yeast1 1/2 tsp
water4 l
non-diastatic barley malt syrup1 1/2 tbsp
DOP San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes28 oz
extra virgin olive oil2 tbsp
kosher salt1 tsp
fresh basil leaves6 large
garlic1 small clove
low-moisture whole milk deli mozzarella slices4 large
cup-and-char pepperoni2 oz
Pecorino Romano1 tbsp
dried oregano1 pinch

Method

01
Whisk the warm water, instant yeast, and diastatic malt powder together in the bowl of your stand mixer, allowing it to sit for 5 minutes before adding the flour and salt.
The active enzymes in diastatic malt are crucial for breaking down complex starches over the long cold proof.
02
Mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms, then attach the dough hook and knead on medium-low for 10 to 12 minutes until smooth and highly elastic.
This is an authentic low-hydration dough sitting at 56.6 percent; do not panic if it seems dry, as it requires rigorous mechanical force to hydrate fully and will leave the bowl completely clean.
03
Turn the dough onto a clean, unfloured surface, form it into a tight ball, and let it rest in a lightly oiled, covered bowl for 1 hour.
04
Divide the dough into eight equal pieces, roll them into tight balls, and push your thumb through the center of each to gently stretch a 2-inch wide ring.
05
Place the shaped bagels on a cornmeal-dusted, parchment-lined baking sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
This long cold retardation is non-negotiable; it develops complex flavor and dehydrates the exterior just enough to form the skin necessary for a beautifully blistered crust.
06
Preheat your oven to 475°F with a baking stone on the middle rack, bring 4 liters of water to a rolling boil, and whisk in the non-diastatic barley malt syrup.
07
Boil the cold bagels, three at a time, for exactly 45 seconds per side before transferring them to a wire rack to drain.
08
Slide the parchment of boiled bagels directly onto the preheated baking stone and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until deep mahogany brown, then cool completely.
09
Move your baking stone to the highest rack of your oven under the broiler element, turn the broiler on high, and preheat for 15 minutes.
10
Slice two of the cooled bagels horizontally and use your thumbs to tear away a shallow trench in the doughy interior of each half.
This counter-staff technique creates a 'scoop' that acts as a structural basin, holding the raw tomato sauce securely so it doesn't slide off the domed crust.
11
Spread exactly one heaping tablespoon of the raw tomato sauce into each scooped basin, and lay one large slice of deli mozzarella over the top.
Do not over-sauce; respecting the proper schmear-to-protein ratio keeps moisture controlled so the bagel chew is uncompromised.
12
Apply the pepperoni and carefully place the assembled bagels directly onto the blazing hot baking stone under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes.
Do not walk away; watch them obsessively until the mozzarella rapidly bubbles, blisters, and takes on leopard-spotted char marks.
13
Remove immediately, hit them with a dusting of grated Pecorino Romano and a pinch of dried oregano, and let rest for 3 minutes before eating.

Notes

For a true Jewish deli fusion, try the Lox-and-Tomato Pizza Bagel variant.
Replace the tomato sauce with a heavy schmear of scallion cream cheese, and top with fresh tomato slices that have been salted and drained on paper towels. Broil with a thin slice of mozzarella until melted, then remove from the oven and immediately drape with bias-cut Nova lox, letting the residual heat gently warm the fish without cooking it.

From Cook Bagel Shop Food at Home.

The Late-Night Wood-Fired Pizza Bagel

Before you start

Prepare the raw Neapolitan pizza sauce before you begin the final assembly.

Ingredients

Method

Whisk the warm water, instant yeast, and diastatic malt powder together in the bowl of your stand mixer, allowing it to sit for 5 minutes before adding the flour and salt.

Mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms, then attach the dough hook and knead on medium-low for 10 to 12 minutes until smooth and highly elastic.

Turn the dough onto a clean, unfloured surface, form it into a tight ball, and let it rest in a lightly oiled, covered bowl for 1 hour.

Divide the dough into eight equal pieces, roll them into tight balls, and push your thumb through the center of each to gently stretch a 2-inch wide ring.

Place the shaped bagels on a cornmeal-dusted, parchment-lined baking sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

Preheat your oven to 475°F with a baking stone on the middle rack, bring 4 liters of water to a rolling boil, and whisk in the non-diastatic barley malt syrup.

Boil the cold bagels, three at a time, for exactly 45 seconds per side before transferring them to a wire rack to drain.

Slide the parchment of boiled bagels directly onto the preheated baking stone and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until deep mahogany brown, then cool completely.

Move your baking stone to the highest rack of your oven under the broiler element, turn the broiler on high, and preheat for 15 minutes.

Slice two of the cooled bagels horizontally and use your thumbs to tear away a shallow trench in the doughy interior of each half.

Spread exactly one heaping tablespoon of the raw tomato sauce into each scooped basin, and lay one large slice of deli mozzarella over the top.

Apply the pepperoni and carefully place the assembled bagels directly onto the blazing hot baking stone under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove immediately, hit them with a dusting of grated Pecorino Romano and a pinch of dried oregano, and let rest for 3 minutes before eating.

Notes

For a true Jewish deli fusion, try the Lox-and-Tomato Pizza Bagel variant.