Vegetarian Recipes Tested from Kara's Kitchen

Bagels
6-14 Bagels

1cups (8 ounces) firm starter

3 ½ cups (16 ounces) bread flour

2 teaspoons (0.5 ounces) sea salt

2 tablespoons (1.5 ounces) honey and fructose

½ cup lukewarm water

½ teaspoon (0.06 ounce) instant yeast

Vegetable oil cooking spray

Remove the firm starter from the refrigerator 1 hour before mixing the dough to take off the chill.

Stir the yeast into the water to dissolve it, and let it sit for 3 minutes. Combine the sponge, flour, salt, honey and fructose in a bowl and mix until it forms a ball and then knead on a lightly floured surface for about 15 minutes. The dough should be dense and fairly dry (satiny) to the touch, smooth and stretchable. Add a little more water or flour, if necessary, to achieve the desired texture.

Immediately cut the dough into 6 to 14 equal pieces, depending on the size of the bagel. 

Roll the pieces into balls, as if making dinner rolls. Cover them with plastic wrap or a clean towel, and let them rest for 5 minutes on a clean countertop.

Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray and dust with cornmeal.

To form the bagels, slightly flour your hands and poke a hole in the center of 1 piece of dough with your thumb. Keeping your thumb in the center, work the dough around, expanding the hole and making an even circle. Put your other thumb in the hole, too, and gently expand the hole till it is about l 1/2 inches across for a large bagel and at least ¾ inch across for a smaller bagel. If the dough resists the tears, let it rest for a few minutes, while you move to another piece, and finish shaping when the gluten has relaxed.

Place the shaped pieces about 2 inches apart on the prepared pan. Enclose the pan with a plastic bag or wrap. Let double in size.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Slightly grease another cookie sheet. Dust with cornmeal and mist with cooking spray. Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer.

Working in batches, gently drop the bagels into the water without crowding the pan; the bagels need enough room to float fully face up without touching. If they should sink, they should bob to the surface within 15 seconds.

After 1 minute, flip the bagels over with a spoon and poach them on the other side for 1 minute more.

Remove the bagels with a slotted spoon, allowing all the water to drip back into the pot. I use a paper towel holding it and letting the water drip on before placing on cookie sheet. 

Sprinkle with seeds or other toppings if you like.

Bake bagels for 10 to 21 minutes, till lightly browned. Check them halfway through and rotate the pan front to back if they are browning unevenly.

Transfer the bagels to a rack and let them cool for at least 30 minutes before eating. To freeze the bagels, allow them to cool completely (60 to 90 minutes) and seal them tightly in a freezer bag.