Recipes - Bread & Baked Goods

Bagels

1. In a medium bowl, combine the lukewarm water, liquid sweetener, yeast, and 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour to form a sponge which will bubble up
2. Let set undisturbed for 10 to 15 minutes
3. While the sponge is forming, fill a pot which is at least 9 inches wide with 3 to 4 quarts of water to a depth of 3 1/2 to 4 inches, and bring to a boil
4. Preheat the oven to 350° F
5. Add the salt, protein powder, whole wheat flour, and remaining white flour to the sponge mixture after it has become foamy
6. Mix well with a wooden spoon
7. Turn onto a lightly floured counter, and knead for 5 to 10 minutes. The dough will become smooth and satiny. Only add more flour if it is sticking to your hands
8. The dough should be soft, not stiff
9. Divide the dough into 12 balls
10. To form the bagels, take each ball and roll it firmly on the counter, pressing down and using the palm of your hand to make a smooth ball
11. Pick up the ball, press your thumb through the center, and stretch the dough out from the center all around to for a bagel shape
12. The hole should be about 1 inch across
13. Set each bagel on a lightly floured surface, and make the next one
14. Let the bagels rest for 10 to 15 minutes to rise
15. Lightly sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal or oil
16. Drop each bagel in that you made that into a pot of boiling water
17. Cook 4 at once
18. Cook for 2 1/2 minutes on one side, then turn over with a slotted spoon
19. Cook for 2 1/2 minutes on the other side
20. With the slotted spoon, remove the bagel and place it on the prepared baking sheet with the top side up
21. Sometimes the bagels turn over during boiling so the flat bottom side ends up on top after you've turned them over
22. Be sure to put that side down on the baking sheet
23. If you would like to sprinkle the tops with sesame seeds or poppy seeds, do this right after they are removed form the boiling water
24. Boil a second batch and put 2 bagels on the first baking sheet
25. You will have 1 sheet of bagels ready to bake, and 2 more bagels on the next sheet waiting for the next 4 bagels to boil.
26. Start baking the fist batch as soon as the first 6 are boiled; don't wait for the next batch to finish boiling.
27. Bake for 20 minutes. You may need to turn the sheet around in the oven half way through baking if your oven doesn't bake evenly
28. When the bagels are done, remove from the sheets, place in a large bowl, and cover with a clean dishcloth to keep the bagels soft.