Rosie Makes Bagels.

I love a good bagel, so let's make some.

Bagels

2 tsp yeast

4 1/2 tsp sugar

1 1/2 cups warm water

3 1/2 bread flour

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Assorted toppings:  caraway seeds, minced onions, poppy seeds, sesame seeds

Pour yeast and sugar into 1/4 cup of the warm water and let it sit for about 5 minutes, then stir mixture until yeast and sugar dissolve.  

Mix flour and salt in a large bowl, make a well in the center, and pour in the yeast and sugar mixture and the rest of the water, gradually, until you have a moist, but firm dough.  Depending on humidity, altitude, tides, alignment of planets, and religious affiliation, you may not need the whole 1 1/2 cups of water.

Oil a large bowl, turn the dough to coat, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled - an hour or so.  Gently deflate dough by turning it over on itself and let it rest for another 10 minutes.

Divide dough into 8 equal pieces and shape each into a smooth ball.

Press your finger into the center of each dough ball to form a hole and stretch the ring out to form the bagel shape.  Place on oiled cookie sheet, cover, and let rest for at least 15 minutes.

Heat oven to 425° and bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Gently lower bagels into the water without crowding.  I boiled 2 at a time.  Boil on one side for 1 minute, then turn over and boil for another minute.  Drain on wire rack.

If you want to add toppings, brush the bagels with an egg wash (1 egg mixed with 1 tsp water), then add whatever toppings you like.  Transfer to oiled baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.  Cool on wire rack.

 

Let it rise.

Turn out onto floured board.

Ball 'em up.

Make bagel shapes.

Let rest on greased cookie sheets.

Boil each side for a minute.

Boiled on the right.

Yet to be boiled on the left.

Drain on wire rack.

The second time I made these, I left two of the bagels whole.

Mr. Hawthorne wanted to try them as a hamburger bun.

Bottom line - quite tasty!

For toppings, I went with caraway and onions on some, poppy seeds on others, and, for something different, a Tuscany Spice Blend and an Alderwood Smoked Sea Salt, both from The Spice and Tea Exchange in Duck, on the rest. 

 Listed ingredients on the Tuscany Blend:  garlic, tomato powder, lime frost sea salt, onion, sea salt, black pepper, olive oil, rosemary, basil, green and red bell peppers, parsley, crushed red pepper flakes, aji amarillo pepper, coriander, cumin, oregano, and thyme.  It packs a punch of flavors!

 

Cool on wire rack.

Caraway and onion.

Tuscany spice blend.

Alderwood smoked sea salt.

Poppy seed.

I have to say these didn't last long.

At all.

Forget the cream cheese.

Schmear on some truffle butter.

Mix together softened unsalted Plugra butter with drops of black truffle oil and kosher salt, to taste.

It is simply dee-vine!