bagels and zombies

With my husband gone for the weekend, I thought I'd go spend some time with my mom. Well, my dad too, but he stays out of the kitchen. Mom and I decided to make bagels. Why? Well, why not? Everyone likes bagels.

Bagels are similar to those big soft pretzels regarding that shiny crusty outside. It's not egg wash that makes it that way. You have to boil them in water with malt & sugar which causes a chemical reaction to take place prior to baking them. The result is a hard shiny chewy outside and a soft chewy inside. Yum.


It's super easy to make bagels, it just takes a while. So if you are going to make bagels, set aside an afternoon and have something to do during the waiting periods in between. Have snacks and a movie. I chose Nutella & gluten-free graham crackers along with the pilot episode of The Walking Dead.

Who doesn't like Zombies? Probably the same kind of person who doesn't like bagels. Unacceptable!


Bagels!

Dough:
1 tablespoon instant yeast
4 cups high gluten flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon non-diastatic malt powder (or brown sugar)
1-1/2 cups lukewarm water

water bath:
2 quarts water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons non-diastatic malt powder (or brown sugar)

Mix the dough ingredients to make a very stiff dough. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise until noticeably puffy, but not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 1-1/2 hours.


Divide the risen dough into eight balls. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.

Heat the water, sugar, and malt powder to a gentle boil in a large, wide diameter pan. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Poke a two-inch wide hole through each ball; the entire bagel will be about 4 inches across. Place bagels on a lightly greased or parchment lined baking sheet and let rest for 10 minutes.

Hey look, it's me with some turbinado sugar. I love this stuff. It smells like...maple syrup.

Hey look, it's my mom.


Gently lower bagels, 3 or 4 at a time, into the simmering water. Simmer for two minutes, gently flip them over, and simmer for one more minute. Place them on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with seeds (we used organic toasted sesame seeds) if desired. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely on rack.


Makes 8 bagels
110 calories
no fat
no sodium
21g carbohydrates
4g protein