Bagles (Plain/Cheddar Cheese)

I love bagels.

I used to work at a bagel cafe in our neighborhood. They had about 20 different kinds
(I'm not joking!) of new york style, boiled bagels. Plain, Whole Wheat, Cranberry, Multi-grain, Cheddar Cheese, Cheese and Herb, Sesame Seeds, Poppy Seeds...
I could go on and on. 

But. My ultimate favorite was chocolate chip. A hot chocolate chip bagel just out of the toaster smothered in butter. It was like having a chocolate chip cookie for breakfast.I had one everyday - usually in the car as I drove to school in the mornings. As I ate one half, I would keep the other half wrapped up in tin foil so the heat wouldn't escape.

Sadly, the cafe doesn't make them anymore. Under new ownership, they only make about 5 different kinds. Which I could live with if the bagels were the same. I think they have a new baker. They added a few other types of bread - ones you usually see in Korean bakeries. They also serve gelato, which is great. But.. it just isn't the same. Oh well. Life goes on. I've learned to live without my chocolate chip bagels in the morning.

So I decided to make my own. This recipe is from www.17andbaking.com, another wonderful blog. Despite having the story of success in front of my eyes, I was skeptical at first. Home-made bagels? Me? I anticipated failure - so that I wouldn't be disappointed.

The results? Let's just say I made another (double) batch 2 days later. 

Plain Bagels
from 17 and Baking

2 tsp dry yeast
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 1/4 cups (300 ml) warm water
3 1/2 cups (500 g) unbleached flour, plus extra for kneading
1 1/2 tsp salt

For Cheddar Cheese Bagels
Ingredients for Plain Bagels +
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese, for topping
1 egg white, beaten

Sprinkle the yeast and sugar into 1/2 cup of the water in a small bowl. Leave for 5 minutes and then stir to dissolve. In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt together. Form a well in the center and pour in the dissolved yeast.

Pour half of the remaining water into the well. Mix in the flour and stir in the reserved water as needed, forming a firm and moist dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Gradually work in as much additional flour as possible while comfortably kneading to form a stiff and firm dough. (For cheddar cheese bagels, add 1 c grated cheddar cheese before kneading.)

Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning the dough to coat it. Cover with a towel and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Punch down and let the dough rest 10 minutes.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball – cup between your hands and press the bottoms together between your palms. Press down to get rid of air bubbles and roll the dough between your palm and the work surface to form a smooth ball. Coat a finger in flour and press it through each ball to form a ring.

Work the rest of your fingers into the hole, stretching the ring and widening the hole to about 1/3 of the bagel’s diameter. Place the bagels on a lightly oiled baking sheet and cover with a damp towel. Let rest for 10 minutes and preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).

Bring a large pan of water to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Use a perforated skimmer to lower the bagels into the water in batches of 2-3. Boil, uncovered, until they rise to the surface, about 1 minute. Turn them over once. Then remove from the pan, letting the water drain, and transfer to a lightly oiled baking sheet. (For cheese bagels, brush top of bagels with egg white. Sprinkle a tablespoon of cheddar cheese on top) Bake 20 minutes, until golden, and cool on a wire rack.