So...I've been learning how to make yogurt, yogurt cheese, etc. It is actually quite interesting & so very easy. I feel slightly like a mad scientist or a witch, working with live cultures & watching them convert my milk to beautiful yogurt.
I made my first small batch of yo-cheese yesterday, a huge amount of whey strained off of the yogurt in a towel, sitting over a strainer & voila, beautiful yo-cheese.
Well, when making yo-cheese, one must have something delectable to spread the light creamy mixture onto, so why not learn to make bagels? I found a very simple recipe, which I changed ever so slightly. I also learned the difference between a regular, soft pillow-y bagel & a New York bagel & what creates that chewy goodness is merely 2 additional minutes in boiled water.
My recipe comes from "The Sophisticated Gourmet" who's basic bagel recipe is linked at the bottom.
My changes are inserted here:
Cinnamon Raisin Wheat Bagel Recipe
Ingredients:2 teaspoons of active dry yeast
1 ½ tablespoons of brown sugar
1 ¼ cups of warm water
3 cups of bread flour (will need extra for kneading)
1/2 cup of whole wheat flour
1 teaspoons of salt
1 tsp cinnamon (I"m sure you could also add nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, ginger, pumpkin pie spice...etc.)
3/4 C raisins, plumped back up in a cup of hot water (could also soak in warm rum...that would be extra special.)
FOR TOPPING:
Egg wash: 1 egg, 1 tbsp water, beaten slightly
Raw sugar & cinnamon to sprinkle.
Preparation:
1. Add yeast to warm water & stir, let sit while you add remaining ingredients to bowl of stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
2. Make a well in the middle of dry ingredients and pour in the yeast mixture.
3. Depending on where you live, you may need to add anywhere from a couple tablespoons to about ¼ cup of water. You want to result in a moist and firm dough after you have mixed it. Mine was fine, in WI with the amounts listed here.
4. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Try working in as much flour as possible to form a firm and stiff dough. Remove from bowl and work with your hands about 12 turns.
5. Lightly brush the mixing bowl with oil (no need to dirty more dishes) and turn the dough to coat. Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, preferably near the wood stove in your home, until the dough has doubled in size, 1 hour. Punch the dough down, and let it rest for another 10 minutes.
6. Carefully divide the dough into 8 pieces, the Sophisticated Gourmet uses a scale so they are all equal, I did not. Shape each piece into a round. Now, take a dough ball, and press it gently against the counter top (or whatever work surface you’re using) moving your hand and the ball in a circular motion pulling the dough into itself while reducing the pressure on top of the dough slightly until a perfect dough ball forms (as pictured below). Repeat with 7 other dough rounds.
7. Coat a finger in flour, and gently press your finger into the center of each dough ball to form a ring. Stretch the ring to about ⅓ the diameter of the bagel and place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Repeat the same step with the remaining dough.
8. After shaping the dough rounds and placing them on the cookie sheet, cover with a damp kitchen towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425ºF.
9. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Reduce the heat. Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to lower the bagels into the water. Boil as many as you are comfortable with boiling. Once the bagels are in, it shouldn’t take too long for them to float to the top (a couple seconds). Let them sit there for 1 minute, and them flip them over to boil for another minute. Extend the boiling times to 2 minutes each, if you’d prefer a chewier bagel (results will give you a more New York Style bagel with this option).I think my family with their braces & baby teeth prefer the less chewy recipe. They are very soft & delicious.
10. Once all the bagels have boiled, brush with egg wash & sprinkle raw sugar & cinnamon over top of them.
11. Transfer them to a lightly oiled baking sheet.
12. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown.
13. Cool on a wire rack.
Makes 8 medium-sized bagels
Recipe modified from The Sophisticated Gourmet
