It's Just Lunch

 So I definitely thought that this week's "It's Just Lunch" was going to be a dud. But luckily for me, it wasn't! They were absolutely delicious! Way better than bagels you would get from the store, and way less expensive! I was originally going to make these bagels for breakfast this morning and post them separately from "It's Just Lunch," but then I realized I still didn't have a post for this week so I'd better post these! And it worked out because they weren't done until noon anyway! If you do decide to make them, I would suggest starting the dough the night before, because it has to rise a while. 

 The one on the left was sprinkled with poppyseeds.

 This one was flavored with basil and oregano.

 The one in the middle is flavored with minced onion and garlic.

Whole Wheat Bagels (found here)

2 t Active Dry Yeast

2 t Sugar

1 1/2 C Warm Water

3 1/2 C Flour (I used 1 1/2 C white flour and 2 C wheat flour)

1 1/2 t Salt

Toppings: coarse salt, onion and garlic, poppyseeds, cinnamon sugar, rosemary and thyme, oregano and garlic, basically whatever you want! Experiment with your favorite spices or keep it simple with plain bagels

Sprinkle the yeast and sugar over 1/2 C warm water, but do not stir. Let sit for 5 minutes until frothy. While that is sitting mix the flour and salt in a stand mixer with the bread hook attachment. You can also do it in a large bowl with a spatula if you don't have a bread hook (but if you make a lot of bread they're definitely worth the investment). Make a well in the middle of the flour and pour in the yeast mixture and another 1/2 C warm water. Mix together until moist and dense. Add the other 1/2 C warm water 1 T at a time, just until all the flour is incorporated and the dough is slightly moist. Knead by hand for 10 minutes. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and place a damp tea towel over it. Let it raise for 1 hour or until doubled in size. The best place for bread to rise is somewhere warm, so I just put mine in the oven at the lowest heat (mine only goes down to 170 degrees) with a small bowl of water under it. After the dough has doubled in size punch it down and let it rise an additional 15 minutes. Preheat your oven to 430 degrees and put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. Take out the dough and separate it into 8 equal parts. Mold your dough into discs by pressing them down on the counter. Poke a hole through the middle and stretch the hole out until it's about 1/3 the size of the bagel. (this isn't as hard as it sounds, just make it into a bagel shape) When your water is boiling float as many bagels will fit in the pot. Boil them for 1-2 minutes on each side (the longer you boil them the chewier they will be). After they have boiled you can add any toppings you like. If you want to add bigger spices or minced onion I would suggest adding it to an egg wash so it doesn't fall off when you bake it. Bake at 430 for 20 minutes. Enjoy!