Bagels, oh yes please!

Living in Montreal has taught me that not all bagels are created equal. Let's not even discuss the mass produced lumps that places like Tim Hortons call bagels, as really all that is is round bread with a hole in the middle. We could get into an argument about which is better, Montreal bagels or New York bagels, but that is more like trying to say which is better, Pink Lady or Granny Smith apples; both are apples, but completely different. So now we get down to cases, and in Montreal, the true connoisseurs are either for Fairmount or St. Viateur. I was always a St. Viateur fan, and fortunately so are most of my friends, so there were never any serious injuries when deciding on where to go. Unfortunately for me, though, my friends still are fans of St. Viateur and friendship does not come between a bagel lover and their gluten of choice. Did I mention that one of our closest friends lives right over top of one of their bakeries? And that it is open until 3 o'clock in the morning??!?!?! 

Sigh.

While faffing about a couple of days ago, I stumbled across this really cool website, The Baking Beauties . I am sooo glad I did, because of this:

I got to have a fresh from the oven, home made bagel for the first time ever. Before becoming intollerant to gluten and dairy I had never made a bagel; why would I? I could get fresh from a wood-fire oven bagel that was chewy and wonderful for practically nothing, and I was convinced that they were simply too complicated to make. The gluten free version (which just happens to be vegan, by the way) certainly is not! All credit for this recipe goes to Jeanine Friesen (thank you!!), as I have chosen to simply post it exactly the way she did, and if you want to check out her site, she's even posted up a video to help, though her instructions are so clear that you probably won't need it. Still, go check it out; she has an amazing repertoire of recipes that look fantastic, as well as a cookbook she's authored and some great, general information about a gluten free pantry.

So, here it is. Gluten free bagels.
Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup sorghum flour
• 1/2 cup potato starch
• 1/2 cup tapioca starch
• 1/2 cup ground flax seed
• 1 Tbsp xanthan gum
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp rapid rise yeast
• 2 Tbsp agave nectar or honey
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 cup warm water

Also needed are:

• large pot, 3/4 full of water
• 1 Tbsp molasses
• 2 tsp vegetable shortening, to grease your hands to form the bagels

Directions:

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and turn your oven on to 100 degrees F, turning it off after 5 minutes. This heats the oven up, but does not allow it to get hot.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix all the dry ingredients to get until well blended.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
4. With the mixer slowly running, pour in the wet ingredients. Then mix on medium speed for 3 minutes.
5. Grease your hands with the vegetable shortening. Take 1/4 of the dough, and form it into a bagel shape, being sure to use your finger to create a large hole in the center of the bagel. Place the formed bagels on the parchment lined baking sheet. Be sure to give them a lot of space on the pan, as they will grow a lot as they rise. Repeat to create 4 large bagels.
6. Place the baking sheet in the warm oven, and allow bagels to rise for 35-40 minutes, or until they have really puffed up.
7. While the bagels are rising, fill a large pot 3/4 full with water. Get to a rolling boil, and add 1 Tbsp of molasses to the water. The molasses will create a nice chewy outside to the bagel.
8. Once you remove the bagels from the oven and are ready to boil them, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
9. When the bagels have finished rising, gently place one bagel at a time in the boiling water. Boil on one side for 30 seconds, flip the bagel, and boil it for another 30 seconds. Remove bagel from boiling water with a slotted spoon, and place on a cooling rack that has been placed over another baking sheet. Repeat with the other 3 bagels.
10. Place boiled bagels back on the parchment lined baking sheet. At this time, you can sprinkle the tops with whatever toppings you desire. Sesame seeds, flax seed, chia seeds, onion flakes, poppy seeds and course salt are just a few ideas.
11. Bake bagels in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until they are a nice golden brown. Remove from oven, and allow to cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before eating. You can eat the bagels warm, or allow them to cool completely before storing in an air-tight bag. To make ‘day old’ bagels as good as fresh, simply microwave for approximately 20 seconds.

Based on a recipe from LivingWithout.com

Next time I make these, I think I'm going to try adding some chopped up dried apple and cinnamon. I am going to get so fat!