Today I had planned to take the kids out to Tonnemakers Farm in Royal City, together with a couple other moms and their kiddos. However upon waking I found that the rain, that had lulled me to sleep, was still here creating a gray and soggy day-not quite ideal for taking kids to a farm. So we will reschedule for another day and instead enjoy a cozy afternoon indoors. With the extra time I have, I thought I ought to post a few updates on the projects going on around our home this past week.
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So I had mentioned, a few posts ago, wanting to try a recipe for homemade bagels and that I'd let you know how it went. Well, I made time and whipped up two batches last weekend-one at home and another with Maria. They were delicious and turned out to be much easier than I thought!
The recipe is as simple as the recipe for pizza dough-which I have memorized-with only a couple of variations.
Mix 1 1/2 cups warm water with one packet of yeast
Add:
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Veg. Oil
4 Cups of Flour
Combine till you have a moderately stiff dough, knead for a few minutes and let it rest for a bit. Cut the dough into 8 pieces and gently knead each one into a bagel sized circle. Now some recipes have you do this part differently such as roll the dough into a rope and connect the ends to form the bagel shape but I remember this not being the easiest when my mom made them. I simply form a bagel shape and then use a sharp knife to poke the hole. I then knead/stretch the hole out gently and lay the formed bagel on a lightly floured surface to rise. At this point you can let the bagels rise overnight if you'd like and cook them first thing in the morning, it's really up to you. I did find that you definitely want to ensure that the surface they rise on is greased and/ or floured enough that they won't stick and deflate when you remove them. Once they have risen, boil them in water for about a minute on both sides or until they start to float. Let them drain/dry on a rack or clean cloth-I used parchment paper because they are a bit sticky. At this point if you want to add any toppings such as sesame seeds or parmesan cheese (the possiilities are endless) go ahead and do so- the sticky surface will hold the toppings nicley. I plan to try some cinnamon bagels for my next batch and top them with raw, coarse sugar, an idea I came across while Googling topping suggestions. I highly looking online for topping/flavor suggestions, if your creative juices need a boost-there are so many great and yummy ideas out there. For my first batch, though I made pain bagels. Bake them at 425 for about 15 minutes. Some recipes have you flip them, but I would really prefer not to-one less step and I don't like the tops browned like the bottom which is how the first batch turned out.
Mix 1 1/2 cups warm water with one packet of yeast
Add:
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Veg. Oil
4 Cups of Flour
Combine till you have a moderately stiff dough, knead for a few minutes and let it rest for a bit. Cut the dough into 8 pieces and gently knead each one into a bagel sized circle. Now some recipes have you do this part differently such as roll the dough into a rope and connect the ends to form the bagel shape but I remember this not being the easiest when my mom made them. I simply form a bagel shape and then use a sharp knife to poke the hole. I then knead/stretch the hole out gently and lay the formed bagel on a lightly floured surface to rise. At this point you can let the bagels rise overnight if you'd like and cook them first thing in the morning, it's really up to you. I did find that you definitely want to ensure that the surface they rise on is greased and/ or floured enough that they won't stick and deflate when you remove them. Once they have risen, boil them in water for about a minute on both sides or until they start to float. Let them drain/dry on a rack or clean cloth-I used parchment paper because they are a bit sticky. At this point if you want to add any toppings such as sesame seeds or parmesan cheese (the possiilities are endless) go ahead and do so- the sticky surface will hold the toppings nicley. I plan to try some cinnamon bagels for my next batch and top them with raw, coarse sugar, an idea I came across while Googling topping suggestions. I highly looking online for topping/flavor suggestions, if your creative juices need a boost-there are so many great and yummy ideas out there. For my first batch, though I made pain bagels. Bake them at 425 for about 15 minutes. Some recipes have you flip them, but I would really prefer not to-one less step and I don't like the tops browned like the bottom which is how the first batch turned out.
Like I mentioned I made my first batch of bagels plain which is generally my preference. I would rather have a flavored cream cheese on my bagels so since I had just finished roasting my red peppers...of course I whipped up some roasted red pepper, cream cheese, garlic powder, and a little salt and pepper for a delicious bagel schmear.
In case you're wondering, I roast my peppers one of two ways-either in a deep skillet (quick single batches) or in the oven (larger batches). No matter which I use, I first drizzle olive oil to coat-it doesn't take much, hardly a Tbsp-and a capful of Wrights Liquid Smoke.
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Unless you are already smoking a pork shoulder or something else in a smoker with some real wood (which one day I'll try) this is the easiest way to get that yummy, smoky, roasted flavor. Don't forget to turn your peppers so they're nice and charred, bubbly and the skins begin to crack. It takes 15-20 minutes and you're done. I have also roasted garlic cloves, jalapenos, and tomatillos using this method and they always turn out great and make your kitchen smell delicious!
I froze the roasted red peppers in snack sized ziploc bags for later use in cooking.
I froze the roasted red peppers in snack sized ziploc bags for later use in cooking.
So back to the bagels...they were a hit! The true test of any recipe, as most of you moms know, is whether your kids will eat it or not, and yay for me because they loved them!
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