Buenos Aires Bagels: If you can’t find them, make them.

BA has gone bagel CRAZY.  Everywhere you look, bread with holes are popping up all over the place.  Besides the decent ones at Malvón, La Crespo and Quiero Bagel, a really good, inexpensive bagel just doesn’t exist. So to fulfill my jewy craving, I spent a whopping $10 pesos on ingredients, and whipped up a batch of deliciously fresh homemade bagels.

The Buenos Aires Mini Bagel Recipe

Adapted from The Fresh Loaf and Sophisticated Gourmet* and Delicious Days

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons of active dry yeast
1 ½ tablespoons of granulated sugar
1 ¼ cups of warm water (you may need ± ¼ cup more, I know I did)
3 ½ cups (500g) of bread flour (will need extra for kneading)
1 ½ teaspoons of salt

Optional Toppings:
Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, minced garlic, minced onion, or an all-seasoned combination.

Directions:

1. In ½ cup of warm water, pour in the sugar and yeast. Do not stir. Let it sit for five minutes, and then stir the yeast and sugar mixture, until it all dissolves in the water. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in the yeast and sugar mixture.

2. Pour half of the remaining warm water into the well. Mix and stir in the rest of the water as needed. You may need to add anywhere from a couple tablespoons to about ¼ cup of water. You want to result in firm and MOIST dough (why do people irrationally hate the word moist? MOIST MOIST MOIST MOIST!).

3. On a floured counter top, knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Try working in as much flour so your dough gets a stiffy. Lightly brush a large bowl with oil and turn the dough to coat. Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in size. Punch the dough down, and let it rest for another 10 minutes.

4. Carefully divide the dough – I wanted to make mini bagels because they are oh so cute, so I divided into 16 ballz.  If you are a perfectionist, I’m sure your ballz will be a lot smoother and nicer than mine.. I tend to make my ballz lumpy and lopsided.

5. Coat a finger in flour, and gently press your finger into the center of each dough ball to form a ring. Stretch the ring and place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Repeat the same step with the remaining dough.

6. After shaping the dough rounds and placing them on the cookie sheet, cover with a damp kitchen towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425ºF / 220ºC / Gas Mark 7.

7. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Reduce the heat. Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to lower the bagels into the water. Boil about 4-5 at a time, depending on how big the pot is. Wait until they float to the top (this shouldn’t take long) and let them sit for about 1 minute, then flip over for another minute.  Extend the boiling time to 2 minutes each if you prefer a more NYC stylez chewy bagel.

8. After you take the bagels out of the pot, top with the optional goodies – I chose poppy seeds.

**Note, unlike what some recipes say, DO NOT spread egg on top of the bagel to make the topping stick, they will stick without it. Several bakeries *cough Oui Oui cough* do this and results in another bread with hole scenario.

9. Once all the bagels have boiled (and have been topped with your choice of toppings), transfer them to a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown.

10. Cool on a wire rack. Don’t try to eat yet and burn your hand.

11. Slice and add some queso crema, finlandia, o Philadelphia, smoked salmon if yo rich, chives if yo poor.

Next on the list will be making these BOMB ASS Everything Bagel Bombs from Amateur Gourmet.

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