Gluten Free & Dairy Free Bagels

There are few things you miss more than bagels when you go gluten free and dairy free.

Ok, fine.

There are a lot of things, but bagels were definitely at the very top of my list. A lot of the gluten free bagels that you find at the store are just plain {BAD}.

If you're like me, you like cooking and baking things that are "fun" to make. Anything with dough (if you know, you know), Indian food, and pasta from scratch, just to name a few! These bagels are FUN to make! They are VERY simple to make, they just require some time. Considering the global pandemic we are in the middle of right now, I've got nothing but! My day consists of waking up at 5am, having coffee with my husband before he goes to work (his job was deemed essential so off to work he'll continue to go), wtching the news, working out, then heading into town to the radio station (also essential). My insurance business is stagnant right now which is alright, I'm mostly helping current clients however I can, which has actually been wonderful to have the time to catch up with everyone. My social media management side gig has been keeping me busy, however, which is great! Helping businesses market their way through this is giving me a sense of purpose and I'm digging it. I hope everyone is STAYING SAFE!

SO. Back to business. BAGELS. You want the batter to look like this before you let it rise! Keep that in mind because the amount of flour needed can alter.

Once you let the batter rise, you'll form 16 palm-size bagels and use your thumb to poke a hole in the middle like this!

Boil them one at a time! 30 seconds on each side. I highly recommend a kitchen dance party (preferably with your fur babies) while you're doing this because it can get t.e.d.i.o.u.s

Brush the egg wash on the bagels and sprinkle with Everything But The Bagel Seasoning. Trader Joe's makes this awesome seasoning but we buy it in bulk from Costco! They swap out inventory so the last time we found it we bought FOUR massive jugs of the seasoning.

Don't forget to leave a comment below if you make this recipe and let me know any tweaks or adjustments you make. Also - just let me know where you're from! Most of us are stuck at home right now so it's a great time to get to know each other! Have a WONDERFUL week, everyone.

Much love,

- Cass

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 2 cups warm water (100°F-110°F)

• 1 tablespoon instant/rapid rise yeast

• 4 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour + another 1/2 cup for kneading

• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (leave out if your flour blend already has it included)

• 3 tablespoons ground flax seed

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

• 1/2 cup dairy-free butter, melted

• 1/4 cup honey

• 1 egg white (or egg replacement)

• 1 tablespoon water

• Everything But The Bagel seasoning

Directions:

• Either turn your oven to "proofing" or turn your oven on any temp for 5 minutes then shut it off in order to keep in warm. Spray a large oven-safe bowl with cooking spray.

• Put the sugar and warm water into the bowl of your stand mixer (or large bowl if using a hand-mixer) and stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the yeast and stir. Place a kitchen towel over the bowl and let sit for 5 minutes, until it becomes frothy. 

• Add the flour, xanthan gum (leave out if your flour already has it), ground flax seed, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar to the mixing bowl and using the hook attachment, beat on low for 2-3 minutes.

• Add the butter and apple cider vinegar and beat on medium for 5 minutes, until dough is sticky and stiff. This is where you'll slowly add flour, IF needed. Refer to photo above for how you want the dough to look.

• Transfer the dough to an oven-safe, greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap VERY loosely and then place a kitchen towel on top. Put in the oven to rise for 20 minutes. 

• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Pour the dough onto a floured counter and knead until the dough is slightly less sticky. Separate dough into 16 equal palm-size balls. You can make this into 8 if you prefer much larger bagels!

• Roll each piece into a ball. Press your finger through the center of each ball to make a hole. Refer to the photos above if needed. Cover the bagels with a kitchen towel and let rise on the counter for 10 minutes.

• Heat the oven to 425°F. Fill a large pot with water and add honey. Whisk until combined. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-high. Be careful, the water can boil over!

• Drop bagels in the boiling water 1 at a time and boil for 30 seconds and then flip the bagel over and boil for 30 more seconds. Again, this is where the dance party in the kitchen comes in because it's tedious work! Extra bonus points if you post your photos in the comments :)

• Using a slotted spoon, replace the bagels to the sheet, hole side up. Repeat until all the bagels are boiled. Whisk together the egg white and water in a small bowl and brush the tops and the sides of the bagels with the egg white mixture. Sprinkle on seasoning.

• Bake the bagels for 15 minutes and then flip the baking sheet around and bake for an another 15 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 180°F.

• Let the bagels cool on the baking sheet for at least 20 minutes before serving. Put a HEAPING pile of dairy-free cream cheese (tofutti brand is our fav!) on that bad boy and try to not eat them all in one sitting!