Bagels

Did you know that almost all foods that you buy "store baked" at a bakery, are really only heated up there? Almost all foods come in frozen and are simply defrosted and baked a few minutes to finish them and then decorated. When I found this out, I was very frustrated. We tended to buy store baked bagels instead of prepackaged ones to save on preservatives, etc. but were still getting them since they were initially frozen and shipped. So, this was my first attempt at making homemade bagels. The whole process did take about 2 hours, but they are delicious! The recipe made 14 bagels although next time I will do better with size uniformity. I would also like to cut out the brown sugar, but I'll have to investigate some other recipes to see what I can substitute, or perhaps leave it out altogether. I also want to look into making the dough in my bread machine to save a little manpower and time. When I toasted my bagel, it took a lot longer than normal, and I think that is due to how fresh it was. I think come tomorrow morning they won't need quite as much time in the toaster.

1 pkg dry active yeast
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/4 c warm water

1 tsp brown sugar
2 T olive oil
2 T flax seed (ground)
1 tsp salt
1 T soy lecithin (you can get bulk at http://www.sonnewald.org/)
2 c lukewarm milk (I used fat free)
5 c whole wheat flour (I used a white whole wheat- be sure it does not say "enriched")

8 c water
2 tsp brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 T water
Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or topping of choice

Grease 2 baking sheets (I used Pam Olive Oil). Dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in warm water and let set in a warm place for 10 minutes.

Add brown sugar, olive oil, flax, salt, and soy lecithin to yeast mixture. Gradually add flour and milk (alternating) to make a stiff dough. Knead well, place in greased bowl. Cover with a warm, damp, towel and place in a warm place for about 20 minutes, or until doubled in size. Flour hand and punch down. Divide into equal pieces (total number will depend on how big you like your bagels). Roll each piece into a disk. Poke finger through the middle and reshape to make bagel shape. Place on greased pan and cover with plastic wrap for about 10 minutes.

Heat water and brown sugar on high. Beat egg and water. Place 2-3 bagels in boiling water at a time for one minute on each side. Remove and place on cooling rack to drain. When one batch is done, place back on baking sheet and brush top with egg wash. Sprinkle on toppings if desired. Bake approximately 20 minutes at 375 degrees, turning over about halfway through baking. Place on cooling rack.