Bagels, Delicious Bagels!

[Cam's Mom]

Today I made bagels! OMG!! Heaven! Maybe my poor old taste buds have grown to tolerate anything, but my gluten eating son confirmed that these are crazy good. Now, for any of you hearty bakers out there, you know that making bagels is just a process, and gluten-free ones are really no different. In fact, they are a bit quicker since they are a single rise! But there is the whole boiling issue. But if you take the steps and do it I promise you, you will have arrived to a new level of gluten free bliss!!

This recipe originated with Bette Hagman's recipe but I changed many of the flours so not sure I need to make foot note to her. But of course we always think of the late, great baker and tip our hats to her. I wish I knew how to post a picture so I could show you these beauties, but here is the recipe. Don't be afraid to try it, it really is not that hard to do.

Dry Ingredients

1 Cup Sorghum Flour

1 Cup Brown Rice Flour

2 Cups Tapioca Flour

1/4 C. Flax Meal (of course!!)

1/4 Cup dry milk

3 1/2 t. Xanthan gum

1 3/4 t. salt

2T Sugar

Wet Ingredients

1 C. Warm water with 1 tsp. sugar disolved in it - add to it 1 T yeast (or 1 packet)

1/4 Cup shortening melted in 1/2 Cup HOT water

4 egg whites (or 8 tablespoons egg whites from container)

Here's the method:

Put all dry stuff in the bowl of a heavy duty mixer (preferably with a bread hook). Mix a bit. Add the hot water/shortening mix. Mix it a bit. Then add the egg whites, mix it a bit. Then add the yeast/water/sugar combo and get it going. This needs to come to a really sticky dough. You will need to be able to form the bagels with greased hands. If it is too wet add more rice flour if too dry add more water. Mix on high speed for 3 minutes.

Scoop up bits a bit bigger than a golf ball and form into bagel shape by making into a ball then poking a hole in the center with your thumb (you're going to need to grease up pretty good to pull this off - I used a spray oil). Put bagels on greased and corn mealed cookie sheets (should make about 16 small bagels) to rise. I let rise in a warm but off oven, covered with plastic wrap for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.

10 minutes before the rising time is up, remove from oven and preheat oven to 475*F. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil with 1 t. of sugar. Once boiling, put in about 4 bagels at a time and boil for 30 seconds per side. Then drain and return to cookie sheets. Now's the time to top 'em with whatever you like. Then into the oven for 20-25 minutes. Let cool slightly before eating. Be careful as these take far less time to eat than to make. Actually all told, including rising time these only took about 1 3/4 hours (and 1 hour was rising time) - so it was not as bad as it sounds!

Good luck if you try them and hope you enjoy them as much as we did!