Happiness from the Kitchen: Bagels!

Does anyone not like bagels? How can you not love these little formed doughy goodies. Whether they are plain or topped with herbs or seeds, how can you not love sinking your teeth into them? Maybe even treating yourself to a bagel loaded with some cream cheese! Whether for breakfast, a snack, used as a sandwich for lunch or topped with some smoked salmon for a light dinner, the fact-of-the-matter is, bagels are a "happy food!"

Now you can always go to your market and buy those disgusting bagels full of chemicals, preservatives and about as flavorful as munching on a piece of paper. You can also go to a local bagel shop and enjoy some very good bagels for a decent amount of money. There is one other alternative: you can make you own. It is simple. It is easy. The best part is, they will always be fresh.

By-the-way, these bagels are not really authentic Jewish bagels (if such a thing even exists). When I make these I refer to them as "Goya Bagels," basically meaning non-Jewish bagels. This is really a very simple basic bagel and they are done in what many consider to be the authentic way, and that means they are boiled before they are baked.

Ingredients needed to make Bagels (makes 6 ):

• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 11/2 Tbs. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 1/2 tsp. yeast
• 1 egg, separated
• 3 3/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp. water

STEPS:

1. In a medium saucepan, stir the milk, butter, sugar and salt over medium heat just until the butter has melted.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the yeast and the warm milk mixture and set aside 5 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg white just until frothy. Stir this into the yeast mixture.
4. Into the bowl stir the flour to form a dough.
5. Place the dough onto a floured surface and knead 10 minutes. It will be a very stiff dough and kneading it will be a very good upper-body workout.
6. Place the dough back into the bowl, cover and let rest 1 hour (it won't really rise since the dough is so stiff).
7. Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone sheet.
8. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
9. Place the dough on a floured surface.
10. Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and bring the ends around to meet, pinching them together to seal.
11. Place the bagels into the boiling water and let cook 3 minutes.
12. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk and 1 tsp. water (this is an egg wash).
13. Remove the bagels from the water and let rest a few minutes to dry.
14. Brush the bagels with the egg wash and top them however you choose.
15. Place the bagels onto the prepared baking sheet.
16. Place into the oven and bake 25 minutes.
17. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack until ready to nosh.

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