Okay- this has nothing to do with my portraits :) I didn't even get out the good camera for the pictures! But these were so good and worth the work!
I love fresh bagels- but they are not always easy to get and I am tired of feeling like I am ALWAYS at the store spending money on stuff... especially stuff we don't "need." With 5 in our house, we use a lot of bread and I felt like I was always running to the store just for bread. That started me on a mission to make our own bread fresh and free of preservatives and filler. Sourdough is a particular favorite and about a year ago I began a quest to create good homemade sourdough- after a few trials and some patience (something I'm not always great with) I succeeded and that has led me on to experimenting with many other types of breads. Check back and I will share my recipe for sourdough bread :)
Before you think "I don't have time for this"... think about how long you would spend to get in the car and go to your local bagel shop... Of course once you are there, you just have to have a cup of coffee or a latte and sit and enjoy it with your fresh bagel. Oh, that does sound nice.... *sigh* ..................... Sorry, got lost in a daydream there- thinking about enjoying coffee and a bagel without my monsters running around yelling and arguing and the little one throwing food on the floor 'cause he's done before I even have a chance to take a bite! With all of us, it is quite an adventure and by the time everyone picks something to drink, we've spent a small fortune and an hour on one little meal and there's nothing left but a mess. Okay- sure, you can buy the kind at the grocery store. I always did... but I think once you have make them a few times, you'll find it's worth it to make them!
This recipe makes about 10 bagels (or you can make them different sizes). The last time I made them, they were all gone within 12 hours. The best thing about making them yourself is that you can customize them.
Get ready... a large pot of water. Two baking sheets oiled or lined with parchment paper. A floured board or smooth counter top. An egg beaten with about 1 Tbs water.
In a large bowl combine 5 cups of bread flour, 1 tsp salt (I use sea salt), 1 Tbs honey (or sugar), 2 rounded tsp yeast (or one packet), 1 Tbs olive oil, 1 1/2 Cups warm water. Stir together then plop the dough onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and no longer sticky (about 10 minutes). Cut or pull off into 10 equal balls and let rest for about 20 minutes.
Turn on the pot of water so it can get boiling (I usually salt it a little- think pasta)
Shape the balls into bagels- The dough usually seems dry, so I wet my hands a little or use a spray bottle to moisten. Roll them into snakes and then join the ends together or make neat little balls and punch a hole in them and pinch any edges of dough together underneath. Let them sit while you shape the others. Preheat oven to 425. After they have been sitting about 20 minutes, drop the bagels into the boiling water 2 or 3 at a time (they need room to expand and lay flat) and boil for about a minute then turn them over and boil another minute. Drain. Place on prepared baking sheet and top with grated cheddar cheese or other dip them in other toppings like seeds. Bake for about 20 minutes (slide them around after about 10 minutes so they don't stick). Place them on cooling rack. Yummy!
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