New Year’s Day Bagels

(Our first 2010 post is actually brought to you by guest author Marcy!)

What’s one of the best things to eat after a hangover? Toasted bagels.

Over a decade ago, my husband and I started making these bagels together for New Year’s day brunch. Not only were they great at helping my husband’s stomach settle down from all the New Year’s drinking, but also was a great opportunity to make one of my favorite recipes that I never have time for.

You’ll need to set aside about 2 hours to make these. The payoff is great: deliciously warm, moist, and fresh bagels, right out of your own oven. This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled. The bagels freeze really well. To store them, place in freezer storage freezer bags. They’ll make for a quick and inexpensive meal on another day.

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 Cups Flour
• 1 envelope (1/4 oz.) Active Dry Yeast (Fleischmann’s)
• 3 Tb. Sugar + a few teaspoons for yeast mixture
• 2 tsp. Salt
• 1 1/2 C. Warm Water (about 100 degrees Fahrenheit)
• Toppings: Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or crushed garlic

You'll need a 5-6 Qt. size pot filled with water for boiling.

Makes about 6-8 medium sized bagels.

Preparation:

Mix the yeast and warm water (not too warm or it ruins the yeast) and a few teaspoons of sugar. Let it sit for about 20 minutes.

In a separate large bowl, mix the flour, sugar and salt. Add the yeast mixture and knead. The dough will be tough and a bit sticky. I add an additional few tablespoons of flour towards the end of the kneading. Knead for about 5 minutes. Cover with a towel and let rise for a 1/2 hour.

In the 5-6 quart pot, boil the water while you shape the bagels. To shape the bagels, divide the dough into 6-8 equal pieces. By hand, roll into an 8 inch long snake-shape. Form the bagels by pinching the ends of the snake-shaped dough together. Let rise for 15 minutes.

Boil each bagel for 30 seconds on each side. Use a spatula to remove the bagels from the water. Use caution as they are slippery. Transfer to a baking sheet and sprinkle your favorite topping (sesame seeds, poppy seeds, crushed garlic, etc). Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20-25 minutes.