Bagels

There are a lot of steps to this recipe, but each step is pretty simple. It's keeping track of them all that probably makes this recipe seem intimidating.

NOTES: ***Increase yeast to 5 grams in sponge 

Double amount of baking soda in water bath 

If making whole grain, increase water by an ounce (28 grams)****

Bruce Ezzell’s Bagels

Sponge (4 to 12 hours before baking; do this before you go to bed if you want fresh bagels for breakfast or brunch, only takes a minute)

• 500 grams flour/18 ounces/ 3.5 cups
• 500 grams water/18 ounces/ 2 1/4 cups
• 3 grams active dry yeast/3/4 teaspoon

1. 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

• 18 grams kosher salt/.6 ounces/1 tablespoon
• 18 grams honey/1 scant tablespoon
• 18 grams malt syrup/1 tablespoon (you can substitute molasses if you wish)
• 446 grams flour/16 ounces/ 3 cups
• Baking Soda (1/2 tablespoon for every 2 liters/1/2 gallon water)
• Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, coarse salt or other garnish (optional but recommended

1. Add salt, honey, malt syrup, and flour to the sponge, the flour last. Attach dough hooks to your mixer and mix at low speed for 8-10 minutes. This is a stiff, bucky dough so don’t walk away from the mixer if it has a tendency to walk across your counter top. I’ve had more than one mixer hit the floor and it is distressing. (This can also be mixed by hand.)
2. Once the dough is mixed remove it to your counter and cover with a cloth to let it rest for 5-10 minutes. While the dough is resting place a wide, fairly deep pot filled with water on the stove to heat (measure the water so you know how much baking soda to use). When I boil I typically use a pan like a wok filled with water. Once the water comes to a simmer add the baking soda. Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees.
3. Divide the dough into 12-13 (4 oz) pieces. Round each piece and set aside to rest for a few more minutes, covered.
4. To shape 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 thumb and place back on the counter, covered, to rise.
5. After 10 minutes flip each bagel over so the bottom is now facing up. When this side begins to get slightly puffy and rounded it is time to boil. This may take as little as 5 minutes, but depending on the temperature of your kitchen, how cold your countertop is, etc., it might take longer. When the bagel looks and feels a bit puffy, it’s ready to boil.
6. While your bagels are in their final rise bring your water to a simmer, then add the baking soda.
7. 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 spoon 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.
8. 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.
9. Bake at 450 degrees F for 12-13 minutes or until golden brown.

Bread/Buns

We make this just about once a week. the original can be found here.

Ingredients

• 1 egg plus enough warm water to equal 1 1/3 cups
• 1/4 cup melted or softened butter
• 1/4 cup sugar (Could use honey instead, but the dough will be more sticky)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 cups bread flour (we use 2 cups AP flour and 2 cups whole wheat)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast/bread machine yeast or 2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Instructions

• 1
  Place all ingredients in mixer and mix for 6-8 minutes, until ingredients are well mixed and gluten has had a chance to develop.*
• 2
  If mixing by hand, blend all ingredients except flour. Add flour one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. (You may need to adjust the amount of flour based on humidity conditions.) When dough is stiff enough to mix by hand, dump onto a well-floured counter and knead for 5-10 minutes. Continue as below.
• 3
  Cover and let rise for 20 minutes. Punch down dough, let rise until double in size (about an hour).
• 4
  Divide dough into desired number of buns and loaves and shape accordingly. Remember, the bread will rise again and double in size, so small buns will get much larger.
• 5
  Cover with a clean dish cloth and place in a warm location until buns double in size (another hour).
• 6
  Bake buns around 15 minutes at 350 degrees F, until lightly browned. Bake bread at 350 degrees F for around 25-30 minutes.
• 7
  Cool on wire rack before slicing.

Notes

• If using active dry yeast, add the yeast to the warm water and allow it to warm and dissolve following directions on yeast package before adding the rest of the ingredients.

Cream Cheese Bread Sticks

Ingredients:
Pizza Dough
Cream Cheese
Parmesan Cheese
Garlic Powder
Oregano
Olive Oil

Instructions:
Depending on how many bread sticks you want (1/4 of a dough ball will make approximately 5 bread sticks), take some of the pizza dough and roll it out into a long rectangle shape (doesn't have to be a perfect rectangle...maybe about a foot and a half or so in length; half a foot wide).
Spread cream cheese all over the surface of the dough, as thick as you want.
Lightly sprinkle Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and oregano (all as much or as little as you want, though I would recommend at least a little of each).
Fold (the long way) the dough in half, so that it is still approximately a half a foot wide, but now 9 or so inches long.  Press down gently, if you like.
Brush (or just use your fingers) a light amount of olive oil over the top, and then sprinkle some more Parmesan cheese on top of that.
With a pizza cutter, cut 5-6 long strips, and twist each one a few times before placing it on a baking sheet.
Bake at 350 Fahrenheit, until done.

Biscuit Mix

Ingredients:
10 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup baking powder
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tsp salt
2 cups shortening (can use butter)

Instructions:
In large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
Cut in shortening until mixture resembles course crumbs (actually, I thought it resembled Parmesan cheese).
Store in an airtight container for up to 6 weeks.

Hint:
You can go to the bisquick website to find some good recipes to use this for.  To make biscuits all you need is 2 1/4 cup of the mix and 2/3 cup milk (bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes).

Oatmeal Cinnamon Muffins, with additions

Ingredients:
3 cups old-fashioned oats
3 cups buttermilk (can do 1 1/2 cups milk and 1 1/2 cups melted butter, if you're in a pinch)
6 eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp and 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3+ tbsp ground cinnamon (to taste!)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp nutmeg (heaping)
3 tsp almond extract

Instructions:
In large bowl, combine oats and buttermilk; let stand for 5 minutes.
Stir in eggs and almond extract.
Combine dry ingredients; stir into oatmeal mixture just until moistened.
Fill greased muffin cups until 2/3 full.
Bake at 400 F (200 C) for 15  minutes or until done.
Cool in pan 10 minutes before moving to wire rack.

Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:
.5 oz / 2 packets yeast
1/3 cup white sugar
2 cups warm water
1 tbsp salt
6 1/2 cups flour, divided
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla


Cinnamon and Sugar Mixture:
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar

Instructions:
In large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1/3 cup white sugar in warm water. 
Stir in salt and 2 cups of flour.
Beat mixture for 2 minutes.
Beat in eggs, oil, and vanilla.
Stir in the remaining flour: 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition.
Knead for 5 minutes on a lightly floured surface.
Lightly oil a bowl, place dough ball in bowl, turn to coat with oil.
Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place, until double in size.
Punch down and let rise again.
Roll out thinly (may need to cut the dough ball into 2-3 balls, depending on how big your counter top is).
Spread melted butter onto the flattened dough, and then sprinkle from the cinnamon and sugar mixture to cover the surface (as much or as little as you like).
Roll the dough into the shape of a snake.
Slice the dough snake into 1-2 inch pieces and place the pieces into muffin tins that have been lightly oiled (adding a tsp of brown sugar to each space is highly recommended).
Bake at 350 F/175 C for 30 minutes

Maxine’s Whole Wheat Rolls

Ingredients:
3 + cups of whole wheat flour
2 ½ tsp yeast (or maybe a little more)
1 cup milk
1/3 c sugar
1/3 c butter
¾ teaspoon salt (or maybe a little more)
2 eggs (beaten)

Instructions:
In a small saucepan heat just until warm and butter is partially melted (remember if it is too hot you will kill the yeast): milk, sugar, butter, and salt
In a large bowl mix: 1 + cup of whole wheat flour, and yeast.
Add the milk mixture and 2 beaten eggs.
Mix until blended.
Let sit (15 min – 30 minutes)
Add 1 cup more of the flour and blend.
Begin adding flour and kneading until flour is just barely not sticking.
Place in oiled bowl.
Cover with wet cloth for 1 – 2 hours.
Punch down.
Rest 15 minutes.
Punch down.
Roll and shape.
Bake 375 F or 190 C for 12 – 15 minutes depending on the size and closeness of the rolls. They should have a nice brown. Cool on a rack. Enjoy with people you love.
Makes 24 – 36 rolls

Steve's Pizza Dough

Ingredients:
1 package of quick rising yeast
1 teaspoon of sugar 1 cup of warm water
1 egg (beaten)
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons of salt
3 ½ cups of flour

Instructions:
Mix the yeast, sugar, and ¼ cup of the water in a separate container to activate the yeast (should only take 5 minutes).
While yeast mixture is activating, mix the rest of the water (3/4 cup), egg, olive oil, and salt.
Add yeast mixture and mix in.
Then add the flour.
Mix until everything is mixed together well and the dough holds together. If it is a little too wet or sticky sprinkle in a little more flour.
Shape into a ball, place into a greased bowl, and cover with a damp towel to rise.
Dough should rise for at least an hour, but more is great.
After the dough has risen, punch it down and reshape into a ball. Separate the dough ball into two smaller balls (one batch of dough makes two pizzas).
Roll out with a rolling pin, add your toppings, and bake for 17-20 minutes at 425 F (218 C). Or until the crust looks golden brown and the toppings look cooked to your liking.
Hint:
Make sure that the bottom of the dough has plenty of flour on it so that it will not stick to the pizza stone (or whatever you are preparing your pizza on).