We are CARBOHOLICS. Yes, it's a real thing. Trust me. When it comes to carbs, we aren't picky: cereal, toast, crackers, bread, and especially bagels. Recently though, our favorite bagels suddenly became something we couldn't eat anymore. Let me explain ...

My son has severe food allergies to dairy, eggs, and peanuts. Such that when he comes in contact with those things he gets hives, his eyes turn red and his face swells. If he were to eat any of those he would die within a matter of minutes. Yep, it's scary. But, we've been dealing with it successfully for the last 10 1/2 years.

We read every label, of every thing, every time ... because every once in a while a company will change where and how they produce their foods. Such was the case with our bagels. It was a sad, sad day. Seriously. I'm pretty sure there was a tear or two shed. There was physical moaning in the bread aisle of the grocery store when we saw that our beloved bagels were now "unsafe" for us to consume. So, what's a carb-loving mom to do for her four little carboholics? Make our own bagels!




I've adapted this recipe from one of my favorite Vegan bakers, Kelly Rudnicki. But you can rest assured, there will be more variations on this plain bagel to come... because... well, carboholics.

YIELD: 16 bagels
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (2 packets)
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon sea salt

FOR BOILING:
large pot of water
1 tablespoon sugar

Preheat oven to 375ºF and line two baking sheets with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
In a mixer with a paddle attachment, combine yeast and 1 1/2 cups of flour. In a separate bowl dissolve sugar and salt with the warm water. Add the water mixture to the yeast and flour and mix for about 1 minute. Let sit for 5-1 minutes until foamy.

Add remaining flour and mix on medium-high for 5-8 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic (it bounces back when pulled).Rest dough for 5 minutes.

Divide dough into 16 portions. Roll each portion into a ball and rest another 5 minutes. Using your thumb, poke a hole through the center of each dough ball and form a bagel shape. Cover with a kitchen towel and let shaped dough bagels rest for 5-10 minutes. They will raise slightly.

While dough is resting, fill a large pot with water and 1 tablespoon of sugar. When it comes to a boil, gently drop 3-4 bagels in the water and boil for 3-4 minutes per side. Then drain on a paper towel. Repeat for all 16 bagels.

Place drained bagels on the baking sheets and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown in color.

Enjoy!

**If you want really soft, chewy bagels, sub 1/2 cup all-purpose flour for bread flour. 








Keep your eyes out for other variations on this recipe... I'm thinking, cinnamon raisin, vegan cheese bagels, blueberry, whole wheat, sourdough, and whatever else I can come up with. What flavor would you want to learn to make?