Sourdough Jalapeño Bagels

    

     My kids (and grandkids as well) have never needed a paid babysitter. I have 4 sisters, three of whom lived nearby when my kids were young. I had my Mom, and aunt as well, and they would have been insulted had I hired a "stranger" to watch the "babies." I now have a share in the joy to pickup two of the grands after school with my sister.  

     When one granddaughter was 9, a story in her reading class involved jalapeño bagels, with a recipe following the text. The teacher said that if anyone wanted to make them, extra credit was available. Leah's hand shot up. "I can do it!!" It happened to be my sister's "day," and she was met by the teacher on the school grounds. "She volunteered to make bagels for the class. She doesn't have to..." Fortunately,  Jane was also up for the challenge! The recipe was followed, bagels were formed, boiled, and baked, and brought to class the next day. Extra credit was duly awarded.

     I was intrigued, obtained the recipe, and adjusted it as sourdough instead of commercial yeast. It is not difficult, but it does take a bit of planning as the dough is formed the day before it is baked: The dough rests on the counter for a few hours and once formed, the pre-baked bagels are refrigerated for 15 hours. This is a flavor- building exercise in patience!

     The thought of boiling dough was counter-intuitive to me, but it has a real purpose for bagels. The boiling stage acts to "set the crust," giving it the characteristic chewy texture.

Jalapeño Bagels

(Makes 6, recipe can be doubled)

1 tsp dried yeast

1 cup.warm water

(For sourdough, omit the dried yeast and water. Begin with a mixing bowl with 50 grams (about 1/4 cup) mature sourdough starter. Add 100 grams warm water and 100 grams flour. Combine thoroughly and cover with a towel. Let it rest at least 3-4 hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge. This will be your yeast and water component).

3 cups flour

2 1/4  tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt 

2 tbsp. diced jalapeños

2 tbsp. dried crushed red pepper

For boiling liquid:

1/3 cup honey

1 tbsp. baking soda

     Dissolve yeast in water (or follow the process for sourdough starter). Combine with remaining ingredients and knead 3-5 minutes. You may need to add a small amount of flour or water if the dough seems too sticky or too dry. Form into a ball and let the dough rest at room temperature 4 hours.      

     Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Roll each piece into a long cigar shape, and wrap the dough around your palm to form a circle. Press the ends together and give it another light roll to join. 

     Once your bagels have formed, cover with plastic wrap, proof at room temp for 30 minutes,  and refrigerate overnight. If you are not using the sourdough method, you can actually skip this step. Instead, allow the bagels to rise at room temperature for 90 minutes.

     Fill a large pot with water (1-2 gallons) and bring to a rolling boil. The water has to be deep enough to accommodate  couple of floating bagels. Add 1 tbsp baking soda and 1/3 cup honey. The soda and honey help improve browning and give a golden crust to the finished bagels. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425F. If you have a baking stone, place it in your oven to preheat as well.

    Into the boiling water, gently ease the bagels, two at a time. They may initially sink, but will float within a minute. Boil 45 seconds per side and then remove with a slotted spatula. 

     Once all the bagels are boiled, sprinkle lightly with coarse salt and place into the preheated oven. Bake about 15-18  minutes. My oven heats irregularly so I have to rotate after 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven when they are golden brown. Cool completely. Slice, toast, and enjoy with a "schmear!"

*As an alternative, you can omit the jalapeños and crushed pepper and use raisins and cinnamon instead, adding 2 tbsp honey to the mixture.