Summoning Up My Brooklyn: Homemade Bagels

A couple weeks ago, before discovering the wonder that is Costco bagels, I was really feeling my Brooklyn, and wanting some real-deal bagels (you can sometimes get bagels here, but I haven't found any that stand up to NYC standards, even at the Kosher deli we found in Rose Bay).

Some of the Americans on Yanks Down Under had gotten into a bagel discussion, and a few mentioned having made their own, and how surprisingly easy they were. I was seriously skeptical, but after psyching myself up about it for an age, I thought that I'd give it a good Brooklyn try. 

Not being a food blogger, I won't give you the detailed blow by blow, but here's the recipe. Turns out that it was pretty easy, as long as you have a hunk of time to devote to the project.

 Ingredients are very basic (I did the suggested honey substitution for the barley malt syrup. I mean, really, who has barley malt syrup around the house?)

Action shot!

You mush up all the ingredients and knead.

Then, you make the prettiest dough balls, and let it sit while you do something fun cook dinner.

Molding the bagel shapes was the part I was most nervous about because a few people said they ended up with strangely shaped bagels. But, my bagels came out quite respectably, I do believe. The dough rings sat covered in the fridge all night, while I dreamed about breakfast. 

 In the morning, I got right to boiling - the most fun part.

Steamy. I forgot to take a photo before they started baking.

 After boiling, you add whatever toppings you like. I tried to mix up an "everything bagel" topping with ingredients I had in the house. I used sesame seeds, sea salt, pepper, onion salt, and minced garlic. I didn't have any poppy seeds, but this concoction was still very good. I did another one with just sesame seeds and one with this spice mix from Trader Joes, which was excellent. I tried the cinnamon sugar after baking, as recommended by the recipe, but was not happy with the results, as they were quite sticky and gooey. Next time I actually think I'll try baking it on like the other ingredients. Topped bagels go into the oven for about 15 minutes.

Finally, out came my amazing bagels. They tasted like Brooklyn, and Partner-in-Crime and I devoured them in two breakfasts. Not easy enough to be a regular baking project, but definitely do-able, and something fun to whip up on occasion, whenever the New York Blues strike, and nothing but a real warm, doughy bagel will do.