[First things first, head on over and check out the current giveaway on last week’s post!]
Fridays have become my baking experiment days. My work schedule allows me to have every other Friday off, so I take advantage of having the house all to myself to watch trashy TV shows and try baking everything I’ve been afraid of. First on the list: bagels. Why did I think bagels would be so hard? True, there’s a lot of steps, but every step is an easy one. Plus, I actually find working with yeast dough to be relaxing. Do a little work, sit around for an hour. Do a little more work, sit around a while longer. It’s basically giving me an excuse to give my Netflix subscription a workout while still feeling productive. Plus, homemade bagels have WAY fewer calories than store-bought, so I basically feel like a health nut now 😉
Another great thing about yeast doughs? They can be so basic and use only a handful of ingredients. If you don’t count bagel toppings, there are five ingredients in these babies. Yeast, water, sugar, salt, and white whole wheat flour. Do water and salt even really count as ingredients? If not, you could even call these 3 ingredient bagels! Fancy, shmancy right there. I topped mine with flax seeds, sesame seeds or poppy seeds with garlic powder, but the sky is really the limit here. If you can’t imagine eating 12 bagels in a few days (try out, your plans might change when you see how good they are!) cut them in half, wrap each in plastic wrap, and stick them in a large container (or large plastic bag) and store in the freezer. When you’re ready to eat, just pop `em in the toaster like you would any other bagel. Easy peasy homemade bagels at your finger tips.
Notice anything new about the pictures? I’m trying to be a little better about backgrounds for pictures as opposed to just not cleaning off my counter top and calling it good. I’m hoping that the different color backgrounds will help make my pictures more exciting, let me know if you have any advice on that!
100% Whole Wheat Bagels — Vegan and Surprisingly Easy
Author: Kelly Hutchinson
Ingredients
1 tbsp active dry yeast
¼ c warm water (not hot!)
1 tbsp sugar
4 c white whole wheat flour
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 – 1 ½ c water (warm/room temp)
Cornmeal (optional)
Bagel toppings (optional, suggestions in notes)
Instructions
Combine the first three ingredients and stir. Allow to sit 5 minutes, until foamy (if it’s not foamy, something happened to your yeast and the recipe will NOT work)
Meanwhile, using a stand mixer combine the flour, salt, and remaining sugar.
Pour the yeast mixture into the flour, while stirring with a dough hook. Add 1 c water. Allow the stand mixer to run for about a minute, and if all yeast isn’t picked up into the dough add up to ½ c water, 1 tbsp at a time. Stir using dough hook on a slow/medium speed for 5 minutes – you can knead by hand if you prefer.
Spritz dough with nonstick spray, turn over and spritz again. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 1 ½ – 2 hours, until dough has doubled in size.
After rising, cut the dough into 12 equally sized pieces and roll in balls. Prepare baking sheets with nonstick spray and preheat oven to 425°F.
Let the dough rest for a minute or two, then work a hole into the middle of the balls with your finger, until they are bagel-shaped. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 15 – 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, fill a wide saucepan or skillet with water, at least 2 inches deep, and bring to boil. Boil bagels for 90 second on each side – I found it easiest to do 3 at a time, spaced about 30 seconds apart.
As bagels are done boiling and while still wet, press tops lightly into desired toppings and bottoms into cornmeal (optional, helps prevent sticking).
When all bagels have been boiled, bake for 8 – 10 minutes, flip an bake 8 – 10 minutes longer. Adjust time based on how dark you like your bagels.
Ohhh you’re making me crave a bagel and cream cheese right now! I’ve never made bagels homemade and they look like so much fun. Having a big batch around for breakfast or snack sounds so appealing!
Your bagles turned out so good! I’ve always been intimidated to make them. I bet they don’t compare to anything you can buy. Love the pretty blue background!
AHHHH I LOVE BAGELS. I need to get over my fear of making them. For some reason, they have a high intimidation factor with me. Like, I am more afraid of making bagels than touching a snake. Is that weird?
Either way, MUST CONQUER FEAR. Because dude, these look bomb.
I am madly in love with bagels and these look awesome. Not to mention healthier then bagels made with white flour. Also, that blue backdrop makes your photos pop!
Thanks so much for the recipe! I’m always trying to get my family to eat more vegan foods and its a frustrating process but they gobbled these right up!:)
These look delicious. I have never tried to make bagels, but would love to try.
I would never guess that bagels would be easy to make, but you have convinced me! I love topping my bagels with sesame seeds :).
Me too! But I didn’t think the whole having braces thing through! Should’ve gone with plain until I’m done with them lol
I’ve never even considered trying to make bagels until now…thanks for inspiring me! These sound great!
Mmmm, homemade bagels are the business. Love the blue background, btw!
I love bagels, and my favorite is whole wheat with sesame seeds. These look delicious!
The pictures look great making me want a bagel even more. Love love love bagels! 🙂
Ooooh these bagels look incredible, love the whole wheat!
I made bagels once and I don’t remember them really being hard…just time consuming! Yours came out great!
You make this look so easy Kelly! YUM!!
Ohhh you’re making me crave a bagel and cream cheese right now! I’ve never made bagels homemade and they look like so much fun. Having a big batch around for breakfast or snack sounds so appealing!
Now I want a bagel!! I’m a huge bagel person 🙂 Never made them at home, and I’m so impressed that you did!
These look great! They look like they have just come from a bakery! And I am in love with that blue wooden background!
I like the blue background! Bagels have been on my to do list for forever! They scare me.
No reason to be scared! They take a lot of time, but you’d have to try reallllly hard to screw them up!
These look amazing Kelly! I love making bagels. 🙂
Your bagles turned out so good! I’ve always been intimidated to make them. I bet they don’t compare to anything you can buy. Love the pretty blue background!
AHHHH I LOVE BAGELS. I need to get over my fear of making them. For some reason, they have a high intimidation factor with me. Like, I am more afraid of making bagels than touching a snake. Is that weird?
Either way, MUST CONQUER FEAR. Because dude, these look bomb.
I am madly in love with bagels and these look awesome. Not to mention healthier then bagels made with white flour. Also, that blue backdrop makes your photos pop!
Yup. Definitely go with the colored backgrounds! Always better than a dirty countertop. 🙂
And love that these are 100% whole wheat. They sound and look amazing!
Store-bought bagels are incomparable (and not nearly as customisable)! I love the 100% whole wheat, so I’ll have to give this a try.
Thanks, let me know how they turn out 🙂
Thanks so much for the recipe! I’m always trying to get my family to eat more vegan foods and its a frustrating process but they gobbled these right up!:)
Glad they liked them, Lis!