Pumpkin Bagels

I thought making bagels was going to be so much more difficult than it was.  They turned out to be surprisingly easy to make as long as you have time to let them rise.  I suggest leaving these for a Sunday afternoon.  They tasted amazing and were so fresh compared to anything I've bought in the store.  We had them toasted for breakfast with Nutella, but you could also spread them with cream cheese or cinnamon-sugar butter.  You could even try them untoasted, dipped into a hearty vegetable soup.  Corey and I are excited to start experimenting with combinations for other bagel flavors!  

Homemade Pumpkin Bagels

Recipe courtesy of Healthy Delicious

Yields 9 bagels
Prep Time: 30 minutesTotal Time: 3 hours

Ingredients

2 teaspoons Yeast

1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar

1/4 cups Warm Water

1 cup Pumpkin Puree

3 cups All Purpose Flour

1/2 cup Whole White Wheat Flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon Salt

1 Tablespoon Baking Soda

Preparation

1. Add yeast and sugar to 1/2 cup warm water, without stirring. Let sit for five minutes, then stir until dissolved.
2. Combine flours, salt, cinnamon, & pumpkin pie spice into a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Stir in the yeast mixture and the pumpkin puree.
3. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic – about 20 minutes by hand or 10 in a mixer (my mixer worked awesome for this!!!). Cover and set in a warm place to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
4. Gently punch down the dough to deflate it, then divide into 9 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then poke your finger through the center to form the hole. Gently stretch the dough to form a ring. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough.
5. Arrange the rings on a cookie sheet, cover, and let rise for 1 hour.
6. While the bagels rise, add the baking soda to a large pot of water and bring it to a boil. Drop the risen bagels into the boiling water a few at a time, being careful not to crowd the pot. Boil for 2 minutes on each side. Replace on cookie sheet.
7. Bake at 450F for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the bagels are a light, golden color.