It all started with Lindsay’s Kitchen Challenge for the month of July. Bagels! Before my baking, I did some research and found 2 recipes from reliable sources that I wanted to use. What seemed so strange though was that these recipes were completely different.
One required making the bagels almost all the way through and then refrigerating them just before boiling and baking. The other made a starter that had to sit overnight and then the whole process was completed the next day. I thought that since I was going to buy the ingredients for one, I should just make the other one and see what was better. And so I did.
As you can see from the pictures, one of the batches looks significantly better than the other. However, they both taste really, REALLY good! I made these sesame bagels from Annie’s Eats recipe. She has great step by step photos on her site and her recipe is really easy to follow. Like any bread baking, this took some time. Annie’s recipe requires you to make everything the day before and then let the bagels sit in the fridge overnight. This is probably the most convenient method for eating bagels in the morning (which is probably when you want them). Less than an hour after you wake-up, you will have some of the best bagels you have ever tasted.
The other bagels really did not look pretty, but they were delicious. I was super surprised. I took a bite just to check, but I was ready to throw these in the trash. The dough was moist and chewy with a crispy crust. Perfect! I popped these in the freezer to save for later. This recipe, from King Arthur’s Flour, used a started that sat out at room temperature overnight and then the bagel making process was done the next day. These bagels took about 3 hours to make once I started the next day, so if you are looking for an early morning breakfast treat, these probably aren’t the ones.
I loved this month’s Kitchen Challenge and I am so glad I tried both recipes. I would have been pretty disappointed with the appearance of the King Arthur’s Flour if I had just stuck with that one. However, the taste was awesome and I would have never tried that if I hadn’t made them. If you would like to try your hands at bagels, click on the links in my description for the recipes I used.
Can’t wait for next month!
