Garlic Bagels

Mmmm... yes, fresh made bagels are so good.  Garlic bagels are one I have been making every other week for awhile now and sometimes as a double batch.

Originally, I was dividing the dough into equal balls once it was ready and having 8, but the last couple of time I have divided it out into 10. My husband said they are more normal bagel size now. I guess it is all about how big a serving of bagel you are wanting. 😊

These are really not overly time consuming. I have a stand mixer and so they don't require kneading the dough by hand either. Yay.

2 teaspoons yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons of white sugar
1 1/4 cups of warm water
3 1/2 cups of bread flour
3/4 tablespoon granulated garlic (could use garlic powder as a sub)
2 tsp salt

oil
fresh minced garlic or pre-minced garlic (from the produce section at the store)
baking soda
corn meal

put the yeast, water, & sugar into the mixer bowl and let it sit about 5 min.

add the flour, salt, and garlic. Attach the dough hook, turn on the mixer speed 1 for a minute then up it to speed 2.  Mix it for 10 minutes.   Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl & cover with a piece of parchment (or pam type spray used on wax paper works) and cover that with a dry dish towel.

Leave it be for 1 hour.

Uncover and punch the dough.  Turn on oven to 425. Get a pot going on the stove filled 2/3 with water and bring to a boil.  oil 2 full size cookie sheets, dusting one of those with cornmeal.  divide the dough into 8-10 pieces/balls.  Poke your thumb through each and shape the bagel leaving the hole a couple inch wide and as you finish shaping sit it on the oiled sheet.

the water should be boiling now, add about 2 tablespoons of baking soda to it. 

add each to the boiling water (I only do one at a time) 1 at a time boiling each side 20-30 seconds.  Remove with a slotted spoon and put onto the oiled and cornmealed cookie sheet.  Once you have them all done, place into the hot oven and bake 12 minutes. Remove and add the minced garlic to the top and place back into the oven for about 5 min.  Remove from oven and transfer the bagels to a wire rack to cool.

I store mine in the refrigerator and toast them up with butter in the toaster oven. Mine keep for a week to 2 weeks in there if any last that long. You can freeze them though.

Tasty eats!  Buttered, with cream cheese, or even as sandwich bread.

Fluffy Pancakes from a mix

So, my favorite pancake is actually a from scratch recipe.  But sometimes you want just enough for one with no leftovers and a box mix can be that quick fix.

The generic brand of mix and a can of sparkling water. In this case, lemon bubly.

You just trade out the water and use the bubly. Equal liquid to what the serving size on the box called for. And in the same fashion, if you don't want as thick a batter add a bit more liquid when initially mixing. It will froth up a bit while mixing. Mix just til well blended. Ladle into a hot greased griddle or skillet and cook per usual for pancakes.

Has a great fluffy texture and a slight lemon taste. Yum.  I do not use syrup, ever, so not sure how that would taste.  But the pancakes themselves can be given this light tinge of flavor with fluff by changing up the flavors of sparkling water used. Lots of possibilities.

Happy eating.....