Time: 3 hours; Makes 8 bagels
This recipe puts a bread machine to good use and results in perfect homemade pumpkin bagels.
INGREDIENTS FOR DOUGH
- 1 cup water
- 2/3 cup pumpkin
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 3 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
- 2 tsp. yeast
INGREDIENTS FOR PROCESSING DOUGH
- few quarts water
- 1 Tbsp. baking soda (or malt barley syrup)
To make this recipe, I use the Zojirushi Breadmaker Model BB-PAC20. Modify directions based on your bread machine type or model.
Place wet ingredients (water, pumpkin) in the baking pan of the bread machine. Then add dry ingredients on top (brown sugar, spices and bread flour). Create an indentation for the yeast so that it does not come into contact with the water prematurely.
Once the ingredients are in the baking pan, return the pan to the bread machine and make sure the lid is closed securely. Use the Select Course button to set the arrow to Regular Dough and press Start. The display will show the completion time for the dough.
Once the dough is ready, remove it from the bread machine and place on a gently greased surface. Divide the dough into eight equal pieces by dividing in half, then in halves again, etc. Round each piece into a ball and use your thumb to poke a hole in the middle of the dough ball. Place each shaped bagel on a parchment paper lined tray. If time allows, let the shaped bagels rise a bit more on the tray till they almost double in size. (Bagel purists say to refrigerate dough for a day but get serious, they still taste delicious without this 24-hour delay and you get to eat bagels sooner this way.)
With your bagels shaped, heat the oven to 400 degrees and bring a pot of water and baking soda to boil. This boiling process gives the bagels their well-known shiny crust and chewy texture. Mmmm. You could substitute barley malt syrup for the baking soda, but I always have baking soda and I never have barley malt syrup. And the end result: still delicious.
Drop bagels in the boiling water for 60 seconds and remove with a slotted spoon. Place the boiled bagels on a kitchen towel to absorb any water. Move the bagels to a greased parchment paper lined tray and bake for 15 minutes.
Let cool on wire racks. Slice and top with cream cheese or maple cream.