It has started snowing again. I know I live in the mountains but give me a break. It is the end of March. Sigh, I need a treat, Sourdough Raisin Bagels.
I put the yeast in some warm water in the bowl of my stand mixer and let it re-hydrate for 10 minutes.
I added the flour, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, sourdough starter, salt and honey.
I put the dough hook on and mixed until a dough started to come together. Then I kneaded with the dough hoof for 8 minutes.
I took the dough out and greased the bowl with oil. I put the dough in and turned to coat it in oil.
I covered the bowl and let the dough rise until it was doubled in size, about 2 hours. You can make sure it has doubled by pressing two finger tips in. If the dough doesn’t come back, it is doubled.
I turned the dough out onto a floured surface. Press it flat and spread the raisins over it. Fold the dough in half and press it flat again. Give the dough a quarter turn and fold and press again. Turn, fold and press a total of four times.
Make a ball of the dough and cut it into eight pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Cover the balls and let them sit for 10 minutes.
Push your thumb through the centre of a ball. Put it on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with baking spray. Use your fingers to enlarge the hole.
Repeat with the remaining balls.
Cover with a towel and let rest for 15 minutes.
While the dough is resting, boil water in a container large enough to poach the bagels without touching. The water has to be at least 2 inches deep. I find my electric wok is perfect.
Preheat the oven to 425 F.
Put the bagels in the boiling water in a batch small enough they can poach without touching. Boil for 1 1/2 minutes. Flip the bagel and boil for 1 1/2 minutes.
Remove the bagels back to the baking tray.
Continue until all bagels are poached.
Bake the bagels at 425 F for 20 minutes and remove to a plate to cool.
The Verdict
These are just the treat I was looking for. They have more honey than my other bagels and the cinnamon gives it a nice complex taste. The raisins add more sweetness and make these a great treat toasted with butter melting in or a schmear of cream cheese.
The best part is they have the chew of a real bagel as opposed to the bread texture of store bought bagels.
They almost make up for the late snow.
The Old Fat Guy
Ingredients
- 125 ml (1/2 cup) warm water
- 12 ml (2 1/4 teaspoon) active dry yeast (one packet)
- 180 grams (6.4 ounces) all-purpose flour (375 ml or 1 1/2 cup)
- 120 grams (4.25 ounces) whole wheat flour (250 ml or 1 cup)
- 5 ml (1 tsp) cinnamon
- 250 ml (1 cup) sourdough starter
- 5 ml (1 teaspoon) kosher salt
- 40 ml (3 tablespoons) honey
- 125 ml (1/2 cup) raisins
Instructions
- Put warm water in bowl of stand mixer. Add yeast and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Add flour, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, sourdough starter, kosher salt and honey.
- Attach bowl to mixer with dough hook. Stir until ingredients start to come together.
- Scraped down dough hook and bowl.
- Turn mixer on and knead for 8 minutes.
- Take the dough out of the bowl.
- Grease the bowl. Put the dough in the bowl and turn to coat.
- Cover the bowl with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 2 hours.
- Turn dough onto a floured surface and press it flat.
- Cover the dough with the raisins.
- Fold the dough in half and press flat.
- Turn the dough one quarter turn, fold in half and press.
- Continue until the dough has been folded and pressed four times.
- Form the dough into a ball.
- Cut the dough into eight pieces and form each piece into a ball.
- Cover the balls with a towel and let sit 15 minutes.
- Force your thumb through the centre of each ball and place them on a greased baking tray.
- Use two fingers to enlarge the holes in the bagels.
- Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
- While the balls are resting, preheat the oven to 425 F and get water boiling. The water has to be at least 2 inches deep.
- In batches, put the bagels in the boiling water for 1 1/2 minutes. Flip and boil the other side for 1 1/2 minutes.
- Remove from the boiling water and place back on baking sheet.
- When all the bagels have been boiled, bake in a 425 F oven for 20 minutes, rotating top to bottom racks half way through.
- Cool the bagels on a rack or plate.
