Make it at home: Whole Wheat Bagels and Cream Cheese!

I've worked really, really hard to make sure that my daughter (RG) doesn't feel deprived in any way from her food allergies. Some people I'm sure think that this is too much work or presenting an unreal world to her. To me, it's showing her that she can get what she wants with hard work and perseverance. She saw bagels in the store one day and wanted some. I told her they had soy and barley so she asked if we could make some. Of course. Sure. Homemade Bagels.

The internet search began. I decided to try a recipe I found on King Arthur's web site: Whole Wheat Bagels (I've copied the recipe below directly from King Arthur's web site). I've searched and searched my computer for the picture of the bagels I made, but, alas, it's not wanting to be found tonight. Since this is my first post on this blog, I'm going to give myself a little slack!

Of course, with bagels, you need cream cheese. All cream cheese I've found on the grocery store shelves have some sort of stabilizer in it. I try to avoid these b/c of RG's tummy so I made my own, and boy was it good! I took some whole milk plain yogurt and strained it over about 4 hours in some cheese cloth inside a strainer perched over a bowl.

I'll be making these items again soon and will hopefully remember to take a picture!



This recipe is an ideal candidate for the bread machine, as it'll respond well to the heavy, long knead that bread machines feature. Simply cut the recipe in half, program your machine for Dough or Manual, and press Start. When the machine has completed its cycle, divide the dough into seven pieces (rather than 14) and proceed with the recipe.
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 cups (16 ounces) water, warm
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon diastatic malt powder (optional)
3 cups (12 3/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
3 cups (12 3/4 ounces) King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
1 tablespoon salt
Dissolve the yeast in the water and add the sugars and the malt. Add 1 cup of the bread flour and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, to give the yeast a chance to get going. Add all of the white whole wheat flour, mixing well. Add the salt, then the rest of the bread flour, mixing in a cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead, adding more flour as necessary, until it's smooth and satiny. As a result of the bread flour's higher protein, you'll want to knead it longer than you would dough made with all-purpose flour; make sure that the dough is really springy before you stop kneading it. Cover the dough with a damp towel, and let it rest for 20 minutes.

Divide the dough into 14 pieces and roll each piece into a rope 8 to 9 inches long and 3/4 inch wide. Form each rope into a circle and join the ends, pressing well to seal. Place the bagels on a tray that's been dusted with cornmeal, cover them lightly with plastic wrap, and let them rise for 30 minutes. Secure the plastic wrap around the edges (you don't want the bagels to dry out), and place the pan in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours.

Remove the bagels from the refrigerator and let them rest at room temperature for 45 minutes. While they're resting, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, and preheat the oven to 450°F.

Place a few bagels at a time in the pot and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, or until they've risen to the top. Remove them with a slotted spoon or flat strainer, and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake the bagels for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they're brown and their internal temperature registers 180°F on an instant-read thermometer. (If your oven is intensely hot at the bottom, nest a second baking pan underneath the first 10 minutes into the baking time. This will diffuse the heat, eliminating the problem of scorched bagel bottoms.) Remove the bagels from the oven, and cool them on racks. Yield: 14 bagels.
Nutrition information per serving (1 bagel, 56g): 180 cal, 1g fat, 6g protein, 36g complex carbohydrates, 2g sugar, 4g dietary fiber, 460mg sodium, 133mg potassium, 2mg iron, 51mg calcium, 115mg phosphorus.

No comments: