
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.
|
|
I froze the roasted red peppers in snack sized ziploc bags for later use in cooking.