We’re in limbo between Christmas and New Year’s, and to me this is the perfect time to talk about homemade bagels. Many of us have a blessed extra day or two off of work, and may find ourselves with an extra moment to spend in the kitchen. New Year’s resolutions and diets are looming so if there was ever a time to enjoy an amazing homemade carb bomb, it would be now. Of course if one of your resolutions is to make yeast breads and doughs at home, then bagels might help with that. Basically I can always find a way to justify the making of bagels.
This base bagel recipe is not new to the blog but I felt the topic could use some updating and that it might benefit from step-by-step pics. I am also quite giddy about finally finding the perfect ratio for the “everything” seed topping. In the past I would just mix together the necessary ingredients until it looked right, except it never tasted quite right. Now it does. I really should have Googled that sooner. You can make these with a stand mixer or simply by hand. Once you’ve got the basic bagel concept down, the sky is the limit. You can customize your bagels however you see fit with mix-ins, toppings, and spreads. If I’m going to put in the effort to make bagels, I always make a full batch. I find that they freeze very well and it’s always nice to be able to pull a few out of the freezer if you have unexpected company over for breakfast or brunch. I freeze after boiling and baking completely, then thaw briefly on low power in the microwave and toast as usual. I must say though, once you start making your own bagels store-bought just won’t cut it anymore. You’ve been warned.