Bagels

While time consuming, these are VERY easy to make and well worth it. Especially when they are fresh out of the oven, they are the perfect blend of soft, chewy and crispy. I love these smeared with a bit of garden vegetable cream cheese.

Bagels

INGREDIENTS
3 1/2 cups bread flour
4 1/2 tsp dry yeast
3 Tbsp honey or sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup hot water (about 120-130 degrees)

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 1/2 Tbsp sugar

1 egg white
1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp corn meal

DIRECTIONS
Using a stand mixer, using your normal beater blade, mix together 3 1/4 cups flour, yeast and salt. If using sugar, mix it in with the flour, if using honey, mix it in with the hot water. Add hot water and mix together, add remaining flour 1 Tbsp at a time until dough becomes heavy and difficult to handle. Switch to dough hook, mix in remaining flour and continue mixing on medium low for 10 minutes. Add additional flour if sticking to the side of the mixing bowl.

Coat a large glass bowl with vegetable oil, turn out dough into bowl losely cover with plastic wrap, set aside and let rise 1 hour.

Punch down, set on lightly floured surface, form into 10 evenly sized balls, let rest 2 minutes.



Flatten balls in palm and push thumb through center to form bagel shape. Set aside and allow to rise for 10 minutes.



While the bagels are rising, in a 6 qt stock pot, bring 3 qts of water with the 1 1/2 Tbsp of sugar to boil.

Preheat oven to 400F and sprinkle 2 baking sheets with the cornmeal.

Once the bagels have risen, using a skimmer/strainer lower them into the water 3 at a time and boil for 30 seconds each side. Using the skimmer move them to the baking sheet. Once they've all been moved to the baking sheet, brush with the egg white and sprinkle with salt.

Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes. Cool on a rack.