I love bagels. Especially when they are toasted. Crispy, dense, chewy, and a valid excuse to consume my mass in cream cheese. As it turns out, they are super fun to make, and require significantly less rising-time than most yeast-based breads. Plus they taste way fresher than the bagels you pick up at the grocery store or at your local chain coffee shop. Now that it's getting warmer out, I probably won't be baking until the temperature is cool enough that I won't hate myself for turning on the oven. Luckily I stashed a few of these in the freezer, so I can have them whenever the mood hits.
Blueberry Bagels
Author: adapted from Joy of Cooking
Difficulty: moderate
Serves: approximately 8 bagels
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup warm water
- 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast (one package)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons + 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup dried blueberries
- 1 egg white whisked with one teaspoon water
Directions
Combine warm water and 2 1/2 teaspoons sugar in a mixing bowl, and allow yeast to bloom in water for about five minutes. Stir in remaining sugar, melted butter, salt, and one cup of flour. Gradually stir in remaining flour, and knead with stand mixer with dough hook until dough is smooth and elastic, approximately five minutes. Manually knead or incorporate the blueberries. Allow dough to rest, covered, for 15-20 minutes. Then, punch dough down and separate into 8 equal pieces. Use your hands to roll each piece into a ball, and use your thumbs to push through to make a bagel shape. Allow to rest, covered, for an additional 15 minutes, where they should appear puffy. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon of sugar added. Drop bagel rings into boiling water and boil on each side for approximately 45 seconds, turning in-between. Place on a baking sheet with parchment paper dusted with cornmeal, and brush tops with egg white water mixture. Bake at 425F for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.
Step-by-Step Photos
Stir 2 1/2 teapoons of sugar into the warm water, and add yeast. Allow to sit and bloom, which takes about five minutes.
Add the remaining sugar, salt, and one cup of flour.
Slowly add the remaining flour and knead with a stand mixer + dough hook until dough is smooth and elastic.
Finally, add the blueberries. They are added at the end to reduce any "bleeding" that may occur into the dough.
Allow the dough to rest, covered, for 15-20 minutes. It should barely be starting to rise.
Separate the dough into 8 equal pieces (I think I ended up with 9 because I like being difficult), and make a ball with your hands, like you would with Play-Dough. Use your thumbs to press through the centre of the dough ball to make the bagel shape. Do this to all of your bagel-balls.
Cover the bagels with a tea towel and allow to rise for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil with half a teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon of sugar.
Drop the bagels into the boiling water, and allow to boil on each side for approximately 45 seconds. They will puff up quite a bit here, so if needed you may want to gently re-shape them after they've risen, if your bagel-hole has shrunk quite a bit. Ensure the water has returned to a boil between batches.
Preheat the oven to 425F. Lay out boiled bagels on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cornmeal for easy clean-up. Brush the bagel tops with the egg white mixture. This is what allows the bagel tops to get all shiny and extra chewy when they are baked.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until tops are golden brown. These will keep for 1-2 days fresh, but leftovers can easily be stored in the freezer until they are ready for use.
