Bagels and me are best friends.

Lunch in my new bagel bento...

One LAT with mayo wholemeal bagel.
Bottom layer has a bananino, strawberries, mini toffee pops, ginger (not the sugary kind).
And I took an apple for morning tea.

Bagel Bento

This morning was a total rush..... crazy.... but I got myself out the door and lunch made and to work etc.  Yay.  Here was my bagel bento....

The bottom layer as kiwifruit slices, seedless grapes and a piece of banana cake.  The top layer has cheese and carrot sticks with 2 mini bagels- both with avocado, lettuce, tomato and mayonaise.  All eaten during dress rehearsal.  Yay.

Mini-Bagels.... nom nom nom.

Well, Bagels are stupidly expensive, but I loves them so..... when I have time (or more like when I have LOADS to do but am avoiding it all) I make my own.  Here is my recipe for mini-bagels- adapted from a cookbook I have, so that the bagels can fit in a bento.

Mini-bagels

Ingredients:
- 2t sugar
- 1 1/2 c warm water
- 3t active yeast (not the baking kind)
- 4c flour
- 1t salt

- 1 egg and water for the glaze

- 3/4 cup sugar and 2 jug-fulls of boiling water for dunking the bagels in

Add the sugar and the yeast to the water, and cover with cling wrap.  I do this to keep nasties out (like beagle fur) and all the warmth in.  Let it get all fluffy.... and frothy.  This will double the liquidy stuff in size- and then some- so make sure to use a large container!

See......  I like to use a 1 litre jug because it makes the pouring easier in the next bit.

In another bowl, sift the flour and salt.  Add the frothy yeasty liquid.  Kneed into a dough and make a large ball.

This is when today I decided to make 3 types.  I left just over half as plain, about a 1/3rd as cinnamon and currents, and the last wee bit as pumpkin seed and paprika.  Basically I just made a ball, flattened it a bit, sprinkled the ingredients on top of the flattened ball.... and kneeded them all in.

There's the big wad of plain, medium wad of cinnamon and small wad of pumpkin seed.  Let the dough sit and double in size.  I usually just do some dishes at this point....

When bigger, start boiling the jug and get a large pot ready to boil water on the stove.  Throw the 3/4 cup of sugar in the pot, and boiled water to speed things up.... have the pot blasting away.

Roll the bagels into balls... and place on a rack.  They will keep expanding somewhat, but it saves time doing it this way.  I tend to leave the hole out of the bagel as the hole is just annoying!  I always end up covered in fillings that have escaped.

Drop the bagels with a slotted spoon into the boiling water for like 30 seconds, rolling them over every 10 or so seconds.  Please ignore my shocking temporary stock pot.... my sister borrowed my lovely one, and somehow managed to break the handles off of it.... so this budget model that burns with anything thicker than water is just tying me over until I find a nice one I like.  Take the bagels out after 30 or so seconds and place on the cooling rack.

Glaze the bagels with an egg wash (whisked water and egg) and give the left over egg-wash to the eagerly awaiting beagles.

Throw them on a baking tray (I use baking paper because I don't like the sticking or the clean-up) and bake for like 20ish minutes at 200 degrees C..... or until they are golden brown.  I don't like an over cooked bagel as I will toast them before eating anyway.

Voila!  Mini bagels ready to go.... or maxi bagels... whatever size you like really.  I like them to be different sizes, so that they look homemade.... and then I can brag about my kitchen exploits... :D