I have been wanting to make bagels for a month or so, but I kept putting it off. I realized why: I didn’t really love the recipe I had. I cannot remember where I obtained it, but I guess it didn’t meet my expectations. Growing up in New York, you have your fair share of great bagels. So, I tend to compare everything to that (perhaps unfairly). A bagel maker in New York told me that the NY water makes a difference in the end product. Well, being miles away from that water (and in the desert, no less), I set about finding another recipe that would satisfy me. The first one I tested turned out to be a winner! Yay! I wanted a basic whole wheat bagel (NY-style) and found this:
The recipe calls for raw sugar, but I subbed a mixture of brown palm sugar and dark honey. *As a side note, from what I’ve been reading, palm sugar has a lower glycemic index/load, so it might be helpful for those needing to watch their sugars. Honey, of course, is very high. I’ll have to do a little more research on it, though.* I shortcut the mixing by using my food processor. It really speeds things up! I also use a large spatula to flip my bagels (in the boiling water) instead of tongs, and I find it works just fine. The recipe divides the dough into 4 portions and the bagels are huge! I think you could easily get 5 very large bagels, or 6 if you wanted a smaller size. Most good quality bagels you purchase are at least a dollar or more for 1…So, for 3 cups of flour (and a few other ingredients), I think 4-6 bagels is a great value.
As I was only making a test batch of 4, I used cast iron pans instead of a baking sheet. I put them on the top rack (so the bottoms wouldn’t brown too quickly) and baked them for the minimum allotted time. They were dense, chewy, and bagel-ish, as they should be (to me, anyway). I think the reason I didn’t care for my previous recipe was that it lacked the bagel-ish texture I love. It was more like a loaf of bread would be, just shaped like a bagel. I decided to use a few different toppings, along with a plain one: sesame, oats, and teff. Sesame and Asiago Cheese are my faves, after that, maybe Everything bagels. I’m still fasting from full-fat cheese, so I used my non-fat homemade yogurt cheese on the plain bagel (pic). As I said, the bagel was so big, so I didn’t eat anything else for the rest of the day, haha. * Also as a side…In school, I had to host a lecture on nutrition/fitness, so I chose the topic of portion control. I included a slideshow called ‘Portion Distortion’ that takes a look at how portion sizes have increased over the years. It’s really eye-opening. If you’re interested, here’s the link: Portion Distortion Go to the slideshow PDF’s at the bottom of the page.*
These were quite easy to make (especially using a food processor), so I think they would make a great Holiday gift. Mini bagels would also be a fab idea. Adding a batch or two of homemade cream cheese would make it even more perfect. Or, perhaps hummus or another spread if dairy is not an option. Check it out and see what you think!
La Cashionista 
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