Gluten Free Ratio Rally – Bagels!

posted by Angela Litzinger on May 2, 2012 11 comments »

I am SO very excited to be part of the Gluten Free Ratio Rally! Each month the group posts recipes based on a specific food (normally made with gluten but changed to gluten free) that they have created by starting with a ratio. Some use the same proportions (taken from Michael Ruhlman’s book Ratio), but you also have the freedom to create new ones based on your preferences. The goal is to remove the mystique from baking and inspire a sense of ability and adventure. That is my kind of fun!

This month Morri of Meals with Morri challenged us with bagels. In the

recipe at Ruhlman’s site, the ratio looks to be 1.9 to 1 as bagels have less hydration than a bread. At first I was going to make a fancy flavored bagels, but most of all I miss a really good plain bagel, with the right “chew” one that could go with anything. So, that is what I set out to make.

Let me tell you, this challenge was a toughie for me. I messed with flours, I messed with technique, I messed with rising times and types and before I knew it, I had strayed really far from the original recipe and ratios. Yeah, it was a gluten based recipe, but I found when I went back and simplified, my bagels worked exactly like I wanted them to. Woo-hoo! Lesson learned. 🙂

I also have to give a shout out to Kelli and Pete Bronski. I used a couple of BRILLIANT techniques from their bread class at the GFAF Expo that helped make my bagels a success. What were they? The nifty bagel hole making and the par-bake before boiling tip. They were perfect ideas to help me take my own recipe and make it successful. Thanks!

I gotta tell you, when we bit into these bagels, there was dancing in my kitchen. I’ll spare you the details, but we WILL be making these again and again. It seems like a lot of steps, but, the biggest time is waiting time for the sponge. And you are sleeping during that time- my kind of recipe! 🙂 Alrighty! On to bagel joy!

Gluten Free Dairy Free Bagels

Makes 12

Sponge: (4 to 12 hours before baking; I do this before you go to bed so I can have fresh bagels for breakfast or brunch, only takes a minute)

500 grams gluten free flours (3 1/2 cups) of 215 grams brown rice flour, 143 grams sorghum flour, and 142 grams garbfava flour

444 grams water (2 cups)

3 grams active dry yeast (3/4 teaspoon)

Combine the ingredients in the bowl of a standing mixer and mix with a spoon till the ingredients are combined. Set aside at room temperature for at least 4 hours. Do this before going to bed if you want fresh bagels in the morning.

To Make the Bagels:

6 grams salt (1 teaspoon)
18 grams honey (1 scant tablespoon)
18 grams molasses (1 tablespoon)

112 grams eggs (2 large)
334.5 grams gluten free flours (2 1/2 cups) of 74 grams sorghum flour, 74 grams cornstarch, 74 grams potato starch, 74 grams tapioca flour and 38.5 grams potato flour

33.75 grams gluten free rolled oats (6 tablespoons)

3 teaspoons xanthan gum

For boiling: Baking Soda (1/2 tablespoon for every 2 liters/1/2 gallon water)

Toppings: Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, coarse salt or other garnish (optional but recommended). For and “everything” topping: combine 4 teaspoons each of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, dried minced garlic, dried minced onion and 2 teaspoons salt.

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Add salt, honey, molasses, eggs, oats, gluten free flours and xanthan (whisk xanthan into GF flours before adding) to the sponge, the GF flours last. Attach dough hooks to your mixer and mix at medium speed for 5 minutes. This is a sticky dough so don’t walk away from the mixer if it has a tendency to walk across your counter top.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Using well oiled hands, divide the dough into 12-13 (4 oz) pieces. Round each piece making sure there are as few cracks as possible. To shape bagel, take each ball of dough and flatten out slightly using the palm of the hand, making a disc approximately 3.5 inches wide. Make a hole in each using your finger. Spray the bagels with olive oil and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside to rise for 25 to 35 minutes. When the bagel looks and feels a bit puffy (NOT doubled in size!!), it’s ready to par-bake. Par-bake the bagels for 4 minutes in the preheated 400 degree F oven.

While the dough is risinging place a wide, fairly deep skillet or wok filled with water on the stove to heat (measure the water so you know how much baking soda to use). Once the water comes to a simmer add the baking soda.

My bagel helper preferred her own shaping

technique using well oiled hands.

After bagels are par-baked, drop the bagels 3-4 at a time into the simmering water (depending on how large your pot is). They should float immediately or within a few seconds. Let them simmer for one minute, then flip them over using a chopstick or slotted spoon or spatula and let the other side simmer for one minute. Remove from the water using a skimmer or large spoon. I like to bake them on a half-sheet pan lined with parchment paper. They can also be baked on a pizza stone.

Sprinkle them with sesame, poppy seeds, salt or whatever you prefer immediately after removing them from the water, or alternately, brush with an egg wash and sprinkle after that.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

For different varieties I will next try adding:

1 1/2 cups dried fruit or sundried tomato and 1 to 2 teaspoon spices or herbs to the dough… And I want to make a softer honey & gf oat bagel… 🙂