This post is a long time coming, especially considering the name of this blog.
[Actually, let me give you a little backstory on the name Peace, Love & Bagels. I had put a lot of thought and research into making bagels at home and one day I said to Brandon, "I want to make bagels!" Well, we all know that boys tend to have selective hearing (love you Brandon!) you know what he heard?? "I want to make babies!" Oh lord! It became an inside joke with the two of us and sometimes when we talk about bagels, we say "babies" instead!]
Now, that I've told you that story, the title of this post could totally be taken the wrong way. I'm going to show you how to make real bagels...you know, the kind made of whole grain goodness that you eat with a schmear of cream cheese or peanut butter! Get your mind out of the gutter!!
Back to business; bread is one of those things that I'd much rather make than buy. There are so many additives and preservatives in store bought bread, when really all it takes is four simple ingredients for a simple, basic loaf of bread....
- flour
- yeast
- salt
- water
That's basically what is in these lovely little gems...yeast, water, flour, salt and a bit of sugar. Oh, and of course, whatever you want to top them with. We chose everything bagels for our first bagel endeavor; salt, poppyseeds, onion powder, garlic powder, sesame seeds, etc.
Homemade Bagels
makes 10 regular sized bagels
ingredients:
- ¾ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 ⅔ cups warm water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 4-1/2 cups whole wheat flour (you can use any mix of flours to equal that amount)
- 1 ½ tablespoons table salt
- poppy seeds, salt, sunflower seeds...anything you want to top your bagels with
Whisk together yeast and water and let stand for 5 minutes until it gets foamy.
Either with a wooden spoon or a mixer (with dough hooks) on low speed, mix in the flour, sugar, molasses and salt.
Knead for about a minute, until you get a slightly sticky, but not tacky, dough. Add more flour or water if necessary (1 tablespoon at a time), depending on the consistency of your dough.
Knead for 5 more minutes then transfer your dough to an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm place for 2 hours (I left mine for more because I was out and about doing errands - it was no biggie).
Divide the dough into 10 pieces, making them as equally sized as possible, then cover with a damp towel to let them rest for 20 minutes.
Line two baking sheets with parchment.
Take a piece of your dough and roll it into a rope about 6 inches long. Form a circle around your hand and press the two ends together.
Place the bagels two inches apart on the baking sheets, then cover and let rest for 20 more minutes or until they are puffed.
Now...
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees (F).
Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil.
Gently drop a few bagels into the boiling water (as many as can comfortably fit without touching each other). After 30 seconds, use a slotted spoon to flip the bagels over and let them boil away for another 30 seconds.
Use your slotted spoon to turn out the bagels onto the baking sheets that are covered in partchment. Working quickly, top with poppy seeds, salt, etc. (or whatever you decided on) while the bagels are still wet so that the toppings stick.
When all bagels have been boiled and topped, pop the baking sheets in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Rotate the sheets and drop the temperature down to 350 degrees (F) then continue baking until they are golden brown (8-10 minutes).
Using a spatula, flip the bagels over and bake for another 5 minutes, or until their backsides are also golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Happy Bagel Eating!!
