Bagel Italiano

*Picture will be re-taken soon*

Isn't that the most beautiful Italian flag you've ever seen? There's the bright splash of red coming from the oven-roasted tomatoes underneath the freshly-made sesame seed bagel. The inside is stuffed with delicious mashed white beans and dotted with little bits of fresh rosemary and spinach. To finish this menagerie of flavor I topped it off with some good-quality olive oil leftover from the oven-dried tomatoes. I sandwiched it in between the fresh bagel and enjoyed with a side of grapefruit and wavy potato chips. This bagel/sandwich is extremely filling and extremely easy to make. Its kid friendly and you don't have to just stop with the toppings that I used. You can try chocolate, fresh fruit, or just your basic schmear of (vegan) cream cheese to make the flavor pop. If you're on the go or just don't like feeling like you're masking the pure deliciousness of your bagel, you can always just eat it plain. It's full of fiber, protein and low fat!

Bagel Recipe:

1 cup of Lukewarm Water

3/4 A teaspoon of Rapid-Rising Yeast

3/4 a cup Bread Flour

1 and 3/4 a cup Wheat Flour

3/4 A teaspoon of Iodized Salt

1-2 Tablespoons of Blackstrap molasses (or any sweetener of your choice)

Add half of the cup of water into a large bowl and add your yeast, then prep your oven to 500 degrees and mix your dry ingredients together. After that, stir the yeast and prepare a baking pan with greased parchment paper, a pot with about 3-4 inches of water in it and something to scoop out your bagels with.  Create a well in your dry mixture and slowly add the yeast-water mixture. After it is loosely formed together, add more water until it is a good and only slightly doughy mixture. Knead it until it comes together and is elastic and transfer it into a small bowl covered with a towel. Let that mixture rest for about an hour and work on whatever toppings or fillings you want for your bagel. Let your imagination run wild, and after about 55 minutes of waiting have elapsed - put enough water into your pot with the molasses (make sure to grease your measure spoon prior to working with the molasses) and place it on the lowest setting. Then, uncover your dough ball and split it into equal pieces. Work with each piece slowly and make sure that it comes together, then take both of your palms and slowly work from the middle, to the left, to the right of the dough piece until it forms a long skinny piece of dough. Then you can hold it slightly in the middle until it stretches out a bit more and finally you can connect the two ends of the dough together to form an the shape of the bagel. Place it onto the greased baking pan/parchment paper and repeat with the other pieces of dough. After you have all formed them, cover them with a towel and wait for about 10 minutes for them to proof once more. Make sure to stir your pot to make sure that everything has come together and hasn't burned. 

Meanwhile, you can place your toppings (I used sesame, chia, and poppy seeds) in a small bowl as you wait. After the bagels have proofed for 10 minutes, place them individually into the water slowly, to ensure that none of them stick together. Wait for exactly 60 seconds for each one and flip them over at their 30-second mark (make sure to do this in the order that you put the bagels in) afterwards, place them onto the baking sheet and cover with your preferred toppings (or none if you prefer naked). Wipe away the excess seeds as they have a tendency to burn, but do not affect the flavor in any way, and place them into the oven for about 15 minutes or until they look to be a satisfactory color.

After they have cooled down for a few moments (10 to 15 minutes should be fine), slice them in half and  treat them as you will. Wasn't that fun?

(Recipe makes about four bagels)

Vegan Cream Cheese Recipe:
1 package of pressed Silken Tofu (your choice on the amount)
2 teaspoons of fresh Lemon Juice
2 teaspoons of Apple Cider Vinegar (or more lemon juice)
1 tablespoon of Raw Sugar, Agave Nectar, or vegan White Sugar

Hope you enjoy!