Gluten-Free Bagels

I have been making some serious lifestyle changes; especially in my eating habits. That doesn’t mean I have voluntarily forfeited all my favorite dishes. It simply means I modified some of the ingredients. I have been reducing the amount of my consumption of gluten as part of an experiment. While I have no reason to suspect that I am developing an allergy for gluten, I have decided to omit all-purpose flour from my diet for a while to see if my body/digestive system reacts any differently. I keep my baking with all-purpose flour to the bear minimum.  I have been feeling bloated as of late and gluten may have been a contributing factor to this problem. I have been experimenting with baking gluten-free breads. Although they still need more practice, I have managed to produce something that is edible as well as tasty via online guidance, confidence, creativity, and intuition. Having little experience with gluten-free bread, I can never be too careful but I am confident enough to produce satisfactory results. Thankfully, the ingredients I need are readily available at my local health food store so there is no longer the need to order these products online or have someone ship them to me from abroad.

Going down my gluten free to-do-list, I realized I have yet to learn how to make gluten free bagels.  It was just a matter of finding a viable gluten-free bagel recipe. If I managed to quasi perfect gluten-free loaves, and loaves, why should bagels be left out of the equation? Who won’t go for a good bagel, especially a gluten-free bagel? Gluten-free or not, the beauty of making homemade bagels is that you can control the portion size. Plus, I tend to boil my bagels in water rather than in oil as most commercial bagels are.  When I presented the first batch to hubby, he gave me the green light to make another batch.  I know how to to the breaks on certain activities before they spiral out of control. There is no rational explanation for enjoying bagels in their entirety.  I don’t make them as often as one might think. When I do, however, it is a special treat.  Homemade bagels are exclusively never overrated in my home. So why should gluten-free bagels be exceptional? I have set out to create the most delicious gluten-free bagel known to mankind and I am very excited to share this recipe with you! Please let me know what  you think 🙂

For this recipe, you will need:

1. 3/4 cup of warm water or milk of your choice
2. 1/2 tablespoon of dry yeast
3. 1 teaspoon of granulated raw sugar or stevia
4. 3 tablespoons of chia or flaxseeds
5. 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
6. 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
7. 2/3 cup of gluten-free oat flour
8. 2/3 cup of buckwheat flour or millet flour
9. 1/3 cup of tapioca starch
10. 1/3 cup of corn meal
11. 2 teaspoons of xanthan gum
12. 1 teaspoon of salt

Instructions

 

Add the yeast and sugar  to the warm water and allow to foam up. Then  add the flaxseeds, oil, and vinegar and allow 5 minutes for the seeds to thicken. Whisk all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture into the flour mix and stir for 2 minutes with a wooden spoon until well-combined.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and dust with cornmeal or potato starch.  Divide dough into 5-6 balls (or as many/little as you can). Form each ball into bagel form and creating a hole in the middle by using your thumb. Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes.  

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Fill a large pot with a quart of water and bring to a boil. Add sugar and baking soda (optional).  Gently toss each bagel into the pot of boiling water and boil for 30 seconds on each side.  Once boiled, place bagels on parchment paper and sprinkle with you favorite topping if you like. Bake for 20-25 minutes and allow to cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Yields 6 bagels