Maid Marian of Bagel and Sir Robin of Loxly

Sorry for the reference, but I had to. Anyway, Adam and I were walking around beautiful Lake Merritt yesterday discussing what we wanted for breakfast this morning (yes, I recognize that that's a bit sad, but that's my life). We decided that we wanted bagels with cream cheese, tomatoes, and capers, a glass of orange juice, and piping hot cup of coffee. We walked to Piedmont Ave in hope of finding some fresh bagels. When we found none, we were sorely disappointed. But, I then suggested, "Why don't we just make our own?" And so we did.

The best thing about making your own bagels is that you can top them with whatever you want. We made several different kinds: plain kosher salt; rosemary with kosher salt; Garlic and Wine Seasoning; and Everythings with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and salt. These bagels absolutely beat any bagel you can buy in a grocery store. And, they don't even take that long to make!

Bagels (found on recipezaar.com, "Beautiful Bagels," but I have altered it slightly)

The original recipe calls for 2 Tbs. gluten flour, but I omitted it and the bagels tasted fantastic.

3 tsp. yeast
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. honey
1 1/4 cups water

1. Place all ingredients in a bread machine on the dough cycle. Allow the dough to go through one full cycle of mixing and rising (about 1 hour 10 minutes). Then, take out the dough and pour onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 1 minute.
2. Cut the dough into 8 equal parts. Roll each of the parts into a snake-like shape. Form a circle and tightly pinch the ends together. Place the bagels onto individual pieces baking paper that has been lightly coated with cooking spray. Cover with another piece of baking paper. Allow to rest.
3. Bring a large skillet of water to a boil.
4. Place the bagels in the boiling water (about 4 at a time) for approximately 40 seconds on each side. Allow to drain on a cooling rack.
5. Brush each bagel with a lightly beaten egg mixed with 1 Tbs. water and 1/2 tsp. salt. Sprinkle the toppings of your choice onto the bagels.
6. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden on top. Place on a wire rack to cool.