Pumpkin Bagels

 
Woohoo, I made bagels!!  I actually kind of surprised myself when I made these - one minute I was deciding whether I should fold laundry or mop my kitchen floor, and the next thing I knew I was making pumpkin bagels!   At any point over the past year or so, if you'd asked me the number one item I wanted to attempt, I would without a doubt have said bagels.  And just like so many things that seem intimidating - I don't know what I was so scared of!  I do admit that these are not really "authentic" bagels.  I'll actually even go so far as to call them cheater bagels - no overnight stint in the refrigerator, no sponge, etc.  Which I think is part of what led me to finally make the leap.  From start to finish, these took just a few hours, so I didn't feel like it was a huge undertaking.

Like so many others, I become obsessed with pumpkin during the fall months, and my absolute favorite bagel flavor is pumpkin, so I really wanted to make a pumpkin bagel.  Having never made bagels before, I can't say if they were harder to work with than plain, but I can say that they weren't any more challenging than a loaf of bread or dinner rolls.    The flavor was spot on when comparing to other pumpkin bagles I've had in the past - dare I say better even?

As I added the spices to the dough, I was a little skeptical because it seemed like a LOT, especially cloves and allspice, which are so strongly flavored and usually only used in very small quantities.  But the final product was a perfectly spiced bagel, with a great pumpkin flavor.

I sprinkled a cinnamon-sugar mixture over the tops of half the bagels, and I liked it so much I wish I'd topped them all with it!  I enjoyed these with honey-butter one day, pear-ginger jam one day, and finally almond butter, a sliced pear, and a drizzle of honey.  I would recommend all three, and I would also suggest honey-walnut cream cheese.  mmmm.

I definitely plan to make these bagels again, but next time I'm going to try to go more authentic.  And I'm also super excited to try the many, many flavor variations I have bookmarked over the past few years!

Pumpkin Spice Bagels
adapted from CDKitchen
makes 8 bagels

• 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons warm water (100-110 degrees)
• 3 1/4 tsp instant yeast
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbs brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp allspice
• 3 cups bread flour

To Cook:

• 3 quarts water
• 2 Tbs sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 egg, for egg wash

Combine all the ingredients for the dough, through allspice, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Mix to combine, then add the flour.  Mix on low speed to just combine, and switch to the dough hook.  Knead on medium speed for 12-15 minutes, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times.  Turn into a lightly-oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise for about an hour. 

Punch down the dough.  Divide into 8 equal parts, and roll into balls.  Use your thumb to form a hole in the center, then stretch smooth the dough to form an even shape.  Place on a baking sheet and continue with the remaining dough.  Cover the baking sheet with a clean kitchen towel, and allow to rise until puffed, about 45 minutes.

In a large saucepan, bring the water and 1 Tablespoon of sugar to boil.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal.  Whisk together 1 egg plus 1 teaspoon of water or milk in a small bowl.

Working a few bagels at a time, boil the bagels 1-2 minutes per side.  Remove from the water and place on a rack to dry for about 1 minute, and repeat with remaining bagels.

Transfer the bagels to the prepared baking sheet, then brush with egg wash.  Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar if using.

Bake 15 minutes, or until bagels are golden-brown.