Beautiful Bagels

I have to admit that I am a sucker for the amazing aroma of freshly baked bread. It is warm, comforting and filled with the promise of deliciousness!

The history of this heavenly delight goes back six centuries. It is believed a baker in Vienna, Austria, invented the bagel quite by accident in the late 17th century. He made it as a tribute to the King of Poland, Jan Sobieski III. The baker knowing king’s passion for horses, shaped the yeast dough into a circle and called it a beugel, which is Austrian for “stirrup.” Though, I am sure a few renditions of its origins abound, I love the romance of this story.

Over the years I have enjoyed many variations of the bagel and several hold a special place in my heart:

The New York bagel hails from the kitchens of Jewish immigrants from Poland in the 1800’s. Using malt syrup instead of sugar, the crusty outside and chewy inside make them delectable.

And closer to home… the Montreal Bagel:

Authentic Montreal bagels are boiled in water with honey, and as a result are sweeter than New York bagels. But the bigger difference is that they are cooked in wood-fired ovens, which gives them a crunchier crust and a deeper, richer crust flavour.

This year I decided to overcome my apprehension to anything to do with bread making of any kind. (is it odd to have recipes that involve yeast intimidate you?). Strangely enough the recipe is ridiculously simple and very versatile.  Whether you want sweet and spicy or savoury, the options are limited only by your imagination and available seasonings in your pantry.

Here is my tried and true recipe for you:

Classic Bagels

• 3 cups flour
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp yeast
• 2 T sugar, maple syrup or honey
• 1 ¼ cups water

In a Mix Master combine flour, yeast, salt and sugar

If desired, add any flavouring of choice (about 1 cup).  Here are some suggestions:

• Sautéed apples and cinnamon
• Asiago cheese & chopped jalapeno peppers
• Blueberries, cinnamon & pecans
• Smoked gouda & chopped chives

Add water and mix until a very well defined ball, smooth and very elastic

Pour dough into a large bowl, cover and allow to rise for 2 hours

Deflate the ball and cut into 12 even pieces

Shape each piece into a bagel shape and set on a lightly floured cookie sheet

Cover and allow to rise (approx. 30 mins)

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add bagels ( 4 at a time) but ensure they are not touching.   Boil each side for about a minute.

Take out and allow to drain on a wire rack ( at this point if you want to add an extra topping like cracked sea salt, or my favourite Everything but the Bagel seasoning from Trader Joe’s ( PS: this is a great topping when making a baked brie as well 😉  )

In a 400 F oven, place bagels on parchment on a cookie sheet. Bake for about 25 minutes until they are golden brown. If you want the bagels to have a nice crust, use a water mister and mist the inside of the oven every 10 minutes.

There is something wonderful about warm, fresh from the oven bagels with a pat of whipped butter…heavenly!!

Whatever your preference of bagel is, give this recipe a go because it’s simple and so versatile.

Enjoy!

Xo – Sandra

Photo credits:

New York bagel – The Welcome Blog

Montreal style bagel – Stviatourbagel.com