WHOLE WHEAT BAGELS – HOW TO MAKE BAGELS AT HOME WITH STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Bagel is a bread product, made with whole wheat flour/ white flour, knead it and shaped it into a ring and baked it in a oven. They are dense, chewy on inside and browned, crispy on outside. You can make bagels with wheat flour or white flour. For health reasons, here I used whole wheat flour to make bagels. Also you can top the bagels with sesame seeds or poppy seeds or oats or any choice. If you make bagels at home, then your breakfast will be ready in mins with some butter and jelly, very filling and yummy:-)

     Ingredients

            2 Cups of White Whole Wheat Flour / Wheat flour
            2/3 Cup of Water
            1 Tsp of Salt
            1.5 Tbsp of Sugar(white or brown)
            1/2 Tbsp of Instant Yeast
            Sesame Seeds for topping

Recipe Source : TheWellflouredKitchen
Method

Mixing :

Now in a wide bowl, combine all the ingredients except sesame seeds, stir well till the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl

Kneading:

Transfer the dough to the counter top, knead it for 10 mins with hand, until you get soft and smooth dough. (You may also knead the flour in a food processor).

Rising:

Transfer the kneaded dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover it with a towel and place the dough in a warm place for 2 hrs.
To provide a warm place for the dough to rise, place the dough on the top rack of a cold oven. Dough should be double in size, depending on the warmth of the kitchen.

Punch:

Punch down the dough by pushing your fist into the center of the dough. Again, knead it for 5 mins.

Shaping:

Shaping a bagels starts with placing the dough on a counter top.
Then, roll the dough into a cylindrical shape as shown in picture.
Cut them into a desired number of pieces using knife.
Take each piece of dough and shape it like ball by joining all the sides towards the centre as shown in picture.

Making holes in the dough balls

Now place all the balls in a greased baking plate.
Punch holes in the middle of each balls with your finger and allow it to rest for 20 mins.
Preheat your oven to 425° F.

Cooking the bagels in sugar water

In a heavy bottomed pan, add few inches of water and a tbsp of sugar. Allow it to come to a boil. Now drop bagels 3 at a time. Cook 90 seconds on one side, flip it and cook 90 seconds on other side.
In the mean time, grease the baking plate with some oil. Carefully take bagels from the pan, and place it in a greased baking plate.
If you eat eggs, brush the top with beaten eggs. If you don’t eat eggs like me, just sprinkle the sesame seeds at the top of the bagels.

Baking

Now place the baking plate in a oven. Bake about 10 mins on one side, flip with spatula and bake for another 10 mins on other side.

Bagels are ready to enjoy with butter and jelly. Slice it and store it glass cake dome or any container.

Tips

If you use active dry yeast, you need to activate. For that, you have to dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water and a pinch of sugar. Water temperature should be around 105 degree to 110 degree Fahrenheit. If the water is cold, yeast will not work. If the water is hot(130-140 °F), the yeast will die. So make sure to maintain the favorable temperature.
If you have ground flaxseeds, add a tbsp of it to the flour.
Adding sugar, not only for flavor, but it provides food for the yeast to grow.
Adding salt, controls the growth of the yeast and also contributes the flavor to bagels.
You can top the bagels with oats, finely chopped vegetables or Italian seasonings.
Shelf life is very less for bagels. So finish it within 2-3 days.

Health Benefits of Whole Wheat Bagels

Rich in fiber, helps in proper functioning of digestive tract and lowers the cholesterol and metabolic syndromes.
Reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Reversing the weight gain process.
Lowers the risk of diabetes.
Excellent laxative properties.
It has powerful antioxidant, which is vitamin E, good for skins.

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread / How To Make Whole Wheat Bread From Scratch / No Egg Bread Recipe

Making bread is not only fun but also gives great satisfaction. I always prefer whole wheat bread than white bread , as whole wheat bread is rich in fiber and other healthy nutrients. I love brownberry wheat bread which they sell in nearby grocery stores. Most of the day I start my breakfast with sandwiches or toast. My favourite is almond/peanut butter-jelly sandwich. You can also see lot of sandwich recipes in my recipe index. When I was searching for whole wheat bread recipe in google, I saw lot of recipes which has all purpose flour in it in addition to whole wheat flour. At last, I got this recipe from King Arthur flour company website which uses 100% whole wheat . I tried making bread 3-4 times, and it always turns out good with this recipe and the aroma of hot bread being baked fresh which I dearly love is enchanting . In this recipe, I added milk and oil, which makes the dough soft and smooth and the addition of honey gives a rich taste to the bread. You can make 1 loaf of bread from this recipe.

Ingredients

3.5 Cups of Whole Wheat Flour
1 and 1/4 Cups of Lukewarm Water (110 Degree F)
2 Tbsp of Honey
2 Tbsp of Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup of Vegetable Oil
2 1/2 Tsp of Instant Yeast / 1 Packet Active Dry yeast dissolved in 3 Tbsp of Lukewarm Water(105 Degree F)
1/4 Cup of Baker’s Special Dry Milk/ Non-Fat Dry Milk / 2% Cow’s Milk
1 Tsp of Salt
1 Cup of Flour for dusting
Thermometer

Method

In a microwave bowl, heat 3 tbsp of water for 15 secs, test the temperature, if it’s around 105-110 degree F(if the temperature is higher than 130degree F, yeast will die), now add a pinch of sugar and active dry yeast, mix well, you can see foam at the top. It’s a sign that yeast got activated.This process is called proofing. Allowing the yeast to metabolize the sugar and propagate. Foam indicates yeast are healthy and working.
In another bowl, boil the water in microwave for a min, temperature should be around 110 Degree F.

Mixing :

Now in a wide bowl, combine all the ingredients, stir till the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl.

Kneading:

Transfer the dough to the counter top, dust the surface with some flour and knead it for 10 mins, it is accomplished by folding the dough over and push down with the heel of the hand, curving your fingers over the dough, until you get soft and smooth dough. (You may also knead the flour in food processor).

Rising:

Transfer the kneaded dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover it with a towel and place the dough in a warm place for 2 hrs.
To provide a warm place for the dough to rise, place the dough on the top rack of a cold oven. Dough should be double in size, depending on the warmth of the kitchen.
Ready to shape, lightly press two fingertips quickly 1/2 inch into dough and if indentation remains.

Punch:

Punch down the dough by pushing your fist into the center of the dough. Again, knead it for 10 mins on a lightly floured surface.

Shaping:

Shaping a loaf of bread starts with placing the dough on a floured surface.
Then, roll the dough into a rectangle shape. Roll up tightly, starting with the one end. Seal with the finger tips as you roll.
After rolling, seal the edges by pressing down on each ends. Now place it in a greased baking pan, folded ends down and cover the pan with a towel, allow the bread to rise for another 1 to 2 hrs.
Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Baking

Bake the bread for 30 -35 mins at 350 degree F.

Test

Test the baked bread for doneness by tapping the top crust with your finger. If there is a hollow sound, the bread is thoroughly baked. Remove the bread from pan at once; cool on a wire rack.
If desired, rub the crust with a stick of butter, this will yield a soft, flavorful crust. Cool completely before slicing.

Storage

Storing the bread properly necessary to keep them fresh tasting. Wrap the bread in foil or clear plastic wrap, or place in a plastic bag. Then, store in a cool, dry place. Do not refrigerate baked breads.

Tips

You can also add 1/4 cup of honey instead of adding sugar.
If you have instant yeast, add it directly to the flour. It does not need activation.
If you use active dry yeast, you need to activate. For that, you have to dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water. Water temperature should be around 105 degree to 110 degree Fahrenheit. If the water is cold, yeast will not work. If the water is hot(130-140 °F), the yeast will die. So make sure to maintain the favorable temperature.
Adding sugar,not only for flavor, but it provides food for the yeast to grow.
Adding salt, controls the growth of the yeast and also contributes the flavor to bread.
Kneading the dough for a longer time, is an important step in bread making.
To avoid over browning of bread, lightly cover the bread with aluminium foil after 20 mins of baking.

Health Benefits of Whole Wheat Bread

Rich in fiber, helps in proper functioning of digestive tract and lowers the cholesterol and metabolic syndromes.
Reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Reversing the weight gain process.
Lowers the risk of diabetes.
Excellent laxative properties.
It has powerful antioxidant, which is vitamin E, good for skins.

Pasta Salad with low fat 1000 Island Dressing

This creamy and delicious tri-color Cold Pasta Salad low-fat 1000 Island Dressing is really great in taste and very filling. Here I used 1000 Island dressing, which is a salad dressing and condiment, used on sandwiches and salad. It is widely used in restaurant and diners in US. It has mayonnaise, olive oil, lemon juice, tomato ketchup and salt in it.
Source : Wikipedia – Origin of the name 1000 Island dressing comes from thousand island between the US and Canada in St. Lawrence river. In 1000 island area, fishing guide wife, made this condiment for her husband dinner. Often in this version, actress May Irwin requested the recipe after enjoying it, that how the dressing got popular.
This low fat 1000 island dressing with pasta is creamy and a treat to your taste buds. Also it is great to pack this dish for lunch box.

Ingredients – Pasta Salad with low fat 1000 Island Dressing

1/2 Cup of Tri-color Pasta
2-3 Cups of Water
1 Tsp of Oil
Salt as Needed

For 1000 Island Dressing

7 Tbsp of Low Fat Mayonnaise / Vegennaise
2 Tbsp of Ketchup
2 Tbsp of Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp of Minced Onion
Dash of Salt and Pepper
2 Tsp of Olive Oil

Other Ingredients

1/4 Cup of Broccoli Florets
5-6 Mushrooms
1 Tsp of Oil
Green Olives to garnish

Method – Pasta Salad with low fat 1000 Island Dressing

Bring 2-3 Cups of water to a rolling boil, add salt to taste.
Add tri-color pasta to the water, add oil and stir gently.
To get authentic pasta taste, boil uncovered for 10- 12 mins and stir occasionally.once it done, just drain the water and keep it aside.
Heat oil in a pan, add mushroom and broccoli, saute this for 2 mins. Keep this aside.
In a wide bowl, add all the ingredients listed under “1000 Island Dressing”give a quick stir. Now add pasta, broccoli and mushroom, toss well, make sure the pasta are well coated with dressings.
Refrigerate it for 15 mins and serve cold with olive on top.

Tips

You can follow the same recipe with any kind of pasta.
You can use any vegetable like carrot, tomato and lettuce.
If you get fresh parsley leaves, you can add it to the dressing.

Recipe Source : Epicurious
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