Whole Wheat Bagels

Now that I've got some time off from school, I'm crossing a few things off my baking checklist. One thing I've been jonesing to make for a while now are homemade bagels. Of course, I realize that making three batches of different flavored bagels in one sitting is excessive, which is exactly why I plan on breaking these up over three days. Another goal of mine on this break - stock up the freezer. I'm making double of what I normally would and putting the extra half in the freezer to bake up in the midst of my last semester of nursing school. Since I've been talking a lot lately about healthy eating I thought these would be a great place to start, so I included the nutrition info from King Arthur Flour's website as well.

If you've got a free day ahead of you and you want to have some fun in the kitchen then you might want to think about homemade bagels. I made whole wheat and will soon be making cinnamon raisin and everything bagels. Of course, you could just make one, but why not spend a little more time to make all three and have them ready in your freezer???

I included some step by step pictures, because when did that not help in learning how to bake something? The bagels taste amazing. They came out so much better than I expected. After you make these you won't want to go back to buying store bought again. I've written the recipe as I made it, which should yield perfect results with one reservation. I didn't weigh out my flours, but you should. White whole wheat flour tends to weigh more than regular, so using cup measurements will most likely add too much flour to your dough making it dry.

Whole Wheat Bagels

1 tbl active dry yeast
2 cups (16 ounces) water, warm (about 115 degrees)
1 tbl light brown sugar
1 tbl granulated sugar
1 tsp diastatic malt powder (totally optional flavor agent)
3 cups (12 3/4 ounces) unbleached bread flour
3 cups (12 3/4 ounces) white whole wheat flour
1 tbl salt
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In the bowl of a stand mixer dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the sugars and the malt if using. Whisk in 1 cup of the bread flour and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, to give the yeast a chance to get going.
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Add all of the white whole wheat flour, mixing well on low speed with the paddle attachment. Add the salt, then the rest of the bread flour, mixing in a cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
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At this point, switch to the dough hook. Knead on medium-low speed for 10 minutes or until it's smooth and satiny. As a result of the bread flour's higher protein, you'll want to knead it longer than you would dough made with all-purpose flour; make sure that the dough is really springy before you stop kneading it.
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Cover the dough with a damp towel, and let it rest for 20 minutes.
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Divide the dough into 14 pieces and roll each piece into a rope 8 to 9 inches long and 3/4 inch wide. Form each rope into a circle and join the ends, pressing well to seal. Place the bagels on a tray that's been dusted with cornmeal, cover them lightly with plastic wrap, and let them rise for 30 minutes. Secure the plastic wrap around the edges (you don't want the bagels to dry out), and place the pan in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours.
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Remove the bagels from the refrigerator and let them rest at room temperature for 45 minutes. While they're resting, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, and preheat the oven to 450 degrees. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Place a few bagels at a time in the pot and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Flip and boil for another 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.
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Remove the bagels with a slotted spoon or flat strainer, and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
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Bake the bagels for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they're brown and their internal temperature registers 180°F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the bagels from the oven, and cool them on racks.
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Nutrition information per serving (1 bagel, 56g): 180 cal, 1g fat, 6g protein, 36g complex carbohydrates, 2g sugar, 4g dietary fiber, 460mg sodium, 133mg potassium, 2mg iron, 51mg calcium, 115mg phosphorus.

Source: Recipe adapted from King Arthurt Flour