A GF Everything Bagel fresh from the oven

In the year 1986 I watched my first Superbowl.  It was the year that the Patriots squished the fish and then went on the bury the Bears.  The Bears didn’t get buried, but what did I care, I was in 4th grade.  What I remember though was that my family had received a side of smoked salmon, specifically lox, from someone for Christmas.  My mom decided that it was Superbowl snack food and the bagels, cream, lox, onions and capers ensued.  I had never had lox before and after that night I ate so much, I wasn’t sure that I would ever eat it again!

So in honor of Superbowl XXwhatereverthisis…here is a fab recipe for GF bagels.  They are chewy, delicious toasted or not and are a great vehicle for cream cheese, butter or even meatballs if you are so inclined.  They are really not that challenging to make, so try it out.  Ever if they don’t come out perfect, they’re still cheaper and better than any frozen GF bagel you can buy at the store!

GF Bagels (adapted from Bette Hagman’s-Sarah’s Bagels recipe from “The Gluten-free Gourmet Bakes Bread”)

Makes 12-16, depending on what size you want then to be

Dry Ingredients:

2 c. Rice Flour, white or brown

1 c. Tapioca Flour

1 c. Cornstarch

1/4 c. Dry Milk Powder

1 T. Xanthan Gum

1 1/2 tsp. salt

2 T. sugar

2 packets of Fleishman’s RAPID Rise Yeast

1 tsp. baking powder

Wet Ingredients:

1/4 c. Shortening (Crisco or solid palm shortening)

1/2 c. HOT Water

1/2 c. Egg Whites,  I use pure liquid egg whites from a carton

1 c. Warm Water (110 degrees-115 degrees)

2 t. white vinegar

My GF Flour Mix for dusting the board for rolling

Method:

Preheat your oven to warm.  It will be around 200 degrees.  You are going to use your oven as a proof-box for the bagels.  This is a warm environment, temp controlled and draft free to let your bread rise in.

Put all dry ingredients into the mixing bowl.  Measure your solid shortening in a bowl and pour your very HOT water over the shortening.  This will start your shortening softening and melting a little bit.  If you feel that it’s not hot enough, put bowl with everything in the microwave for about 30 seconds.

Start your mixer and pour in all the wet ingredients, except for the warm water. Let everything mix for a minute, then pour in your warm water.  Look at the dough as it mixes, if it seems too dry, add an additional tablespoon of water and see how the dough looks.  Mix on medium speed for about 5 minutes.

Dust your counter with My GF flour mix.  Scoop out your dough and roll into a tube.  Separate into 2 larger sections, and then again, into individual pieces.  Get ready to roll.

Roll your dough into a snake about 4 inches long.  Then join the two ends together and gently twist so they mesh.  Gently pick up your bagel-shape and put it onto a sheet pan that you have dusted with flour.  Continue with the other pieces of dough.  You should be able to fit 6-8 bagels on a 1/2 sheet pan.

This next part seems trivial, but it’s more important than you think.  When your first pan in full of bagels, take a pan spray(like a Pam or whatever you have that’s similar) , and spray each bagel lightly with the spray.  Then very gently cover the whole pan with plastic wrap, just so it covers each of the bagels.  Place the sheet pan into your warm oven.  Continue rolling and sheeting the rest of the bagels and repeat the spraying and wrapping process.  Both spraying and wrapping the bagels keeps them moist enough to allow the yeast to rise.  If the bagels get dry, the yeast can’t spring up and you will have a dry and cracked surface.

Watch the bagels carefully.  Within about 30-45 minutes, they will have doubled in size. Get a pot of water and fill it with about 3 inches of water.  Add 1 tsp of sugar to the water and bring to a light boil.  Take both sheets of bagels from the oven and turn your oven up to 425 degrees.

Gently pick up a bagel and put it into the water top side down.  After about 10 seconds flip it with a slotted spoon.  After 10 more seconds, left the bagel out of the water with the slotted spoon and carefully slide it back onto the sheet pan.  Do this with all the bagels, I usually do two at a time.  If you are going to add outside toppings (sesame, poppy, everything etc) add it now.

Before rising and before boiling

After rising, after boiling, after sprinkling on toppings

Everythings in the oven

Place pans into the oven. One can be on an upper rack, one on a lower rack.  About 10 minutes into baking, switch the pans and keep and eye on the bagels so both sides get nice and brown.  Remove from the oven, cool slightly and eat them!

A GF Everything Bagel fresh from the oven

Monday, I’ll share my secret for blueberry, strawberry, cinnamon raisin and the elusive everything bagels.

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