Friday, December 3, 2010

A small slice of the big apple.

Let's face it.  It's been a while since I've posted.  It's only because it has been an extremely busy fall for us.  Like you, I'm sure.  But my Thanksgiving break went slowly enough to encourage my mother and I to try something I've never tried before.

That's right, bagels.

Now, bagels aren't something you typically think of as a "home-baked" item.  They're more of your "run to the coffee shop for a quick breakfast" thing.  And boy, are they delicious.  Shout out to the absolutely delicious Lincoln bagel shop, Bagels and Joe.  Great name, I know.

(Wow.  A cop chase is happening outside our apartment right now and it is hot!)

Anyway, my mom was watching Baking with Julia (the show from Julia Child's later years where she had guest chefs come on the show and show us how to make things) and caught an episode where they made bagels.  Needless to say, she was inspired and it didn't take much to inspire me to.

Thus, we began our adventure.

Some of the more important parts of the process--activating yeast and butter! 
Bread flour and the eternal classic, Baking with Julia.  At least I think that's what it's called.  Mom, help me out here! 
Butter and water


Adding some salt.  Actually, a lot of salt.

Mixing in the yeast and some flour

It's starting to take more elbow grease!

I gave up and we used the mixer.


Let is rise...

Then it will look like this!

Then you punch it and put it in the fridge for 4 hours.  Yes, four.  This process took all day.

Get the board ready.  Or what's left of it, anyway.

All those kickboxing moves came in handy here.
p.s.  Alton Brown told me that "punching the dough" was just a saying, you don't actually need to punch it, just deflate the dough of air.  My reply?  Why wouldn't you want to punch it??

Stupid dough.

This part is fun.  This is where you make the chunks of dough into perfect rounds.

Then you form rings.
p.s. the embroidery on that towel was done by yours truly.

Ringy dingy.

Then you boil them for about 4 minutes!  Weird!

Boiling.

More boiling.

Adding an egg wash

Adding some toppings--in this case, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and parmesan cheese.  Yum!

Nice!

These are "in oven" shots.  I was trying to capture a picture of the steam that is created when you throw ice cubes in the bottom of your oven.  So awesome.  That was one of those things I never thought my mom would let me do---but she did.  Thanks, Mom, you fulfilled a lifelong dream.


Making more rings.
p.s.  This is why none of you should come home with me for Thanksgiving.  I wear my clothes from high school.  Not. Pretty.

This was the best part--an herbed vegetable cream cheese spread.  It was an experiment that worked out very well!  Thank you to my idol Ina Garten.

This is what was going on with the rest of the bums in the house while Mother and I were slaving over a hot oven.

Finished product (these were not as good looking as the second batch).



Serious bakers. 

First test-Max.  Did he like it?  Indeed.


Well, that's all, folks.  Bagels 101.  They were good, but I might have to forget how long they took before making them again.

2 comments:

  1. DANG, girls! Those bagels look profesh (not to mention exhausting). Wish I could have been there to say "bagel and shmear" over and over with ya. Next holiday...doughnut holes!
    -Megan H.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kudos to you! I tried making bagels once and they turned out to be hard, rubbery rounds the size of doorknobs. Not. Good. Yours look much better. Good job. I'm impressed. :)

    ReplyDelete

Leave us a message! Tell us what you think!

Friday, December 3, 2010

A small slice of the big apple.

Let's face it.  It's been a while since I've posted.  It's only because it has been an extremely busy fall for us.  Like you, I'm sure.  But my Thanksgiving break went slowly enough to encourage my mother and I to try something I've never tried before.

That's right, bagels.

Now, bagels aren't something you typically think of as a "home-baked" item.  They're more of your "run to the coffee shop for a quick breakfast" thing.  And boy, are they delicious.  Shout out to the absolutely delicious Lincoln bagel shop, Bagels and Joe.  Great name, I know.

(Wow.  A cop chase is happening outside our apartment right now and it is hot!)

Anyway, my mom was watching Baking with Julia (the show from Julia Child's later years where she had guest chefs come on the show and show us how to make things) and caught an episode where they made bagels.  Needless to say, she was inspired and it didn't take much to inspire me to.

Thus, we began our adventure.

Some of the more important parts of the process--activating yeast and butter! 
Bread flour and the eternal classic, Baking with Julia.  At least I think that's what it's called.  Mom, help me out here! 
Butter and water


Adding some salt.  Actually, a lot of salt.

Mixing in the yeast and some flour

It's starting to take more elbow grease!

I gave up and we used the mixer.


Let is rise...

Then it will look like this!

Then you punch it and put it in the fridge for 4 hours.  Yes, four.  This process took all day.

Get the board ready.  Or what's left of it, anyway.

All those kickboxing moves came in handy here.
p.s.  Alton Brown told me that "punching the dough" was just a saying, you don't actually need to punch it, just deflate the dough of air.  My reply?  Why wouldn't you want to punch it??

Stupid dough.

This part is fun.  This is where you make the chunks of dough into perfect rounds.

Then you form rings.
p.s. the embroidery on that towel was done by yours truly.

Ringy dingy.

Then you boil them for about 4 minutes!  Weird!

Boiling.

More boiling.

Adding an egg wash

Adding some toppings--in this case, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and parmesan cheese.  Yum!

Nice!

These are "in oven" shots.  I was trying to capture a picture of the steam that is created when you throw ice cubes in the bottom of your oven.  So awesome.  That was one of those things I never thought my mom would let me do---but she did.  Thanks, Mom, you fulfilled a lifelong dream.


Making more rings.
p.s.  This is why none of you should come home with me for Thanksgiving.  I wear my clothes from high school.  Not. Pretty.

This was the best part--an herbed vegetable cream cheese spread.  It was an experiment that worked out very well!  Thank you to my idol Ina Garten.

This is what was going on with the rest of the bums in the house while Mother and I were slaving over a hot oven.

Finished product (these were not as good looking as the second batch).



Serious bakers. 

First test-Max.  Did he like it?  Indeed.


Well, that's all, folks.  Bagels 101.  They were good, but I might have to forget how long they took before making them again.

2 comments:

  1. DANG, girls! Those bagels look profesh (not to mention exhausting). Wish I could have been there to say "bagel and shmear" over and over with ya. Next holiday...doughnut holes!
    -Megan H.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kudos to you! I tried making bagels once and they turned out to be hard, rubbery rounds the size of doorknobs. Not. Good. Yours look much better. Good job. I'm impressed. :)

    ReplyDelete

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