Baking some more flavored bagels.
My third attempt at making homemade bagels. So far I’ve stuck with savory flavors, like Asiago and Garlic Onion, and this Jalapeno Cheddar variety is no different. The sharp cheddar, along with a hearty slab of cream cheese, pairs perfectly with the heat of the jalapeno – one might even call this a jalapeno popper bagel.
Time You Need
- ~30 minutes prep
- ~2 hours resting
- ~25 minutes baking
- Yields: 7-8 bagels
What You Need
- 1 tbsp instant yeast
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 4 cups bread flour
- 2 tsp of garlic salt
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 cup of sharp cheddar, shredded
- 1 cup of sharp cheddar, finely blended in a food processor
- 1 1/2 cups canned jalapeno, drained dried
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
- 1 egg, beaten for egg wash, (with a tbsp of olive oil)
- For the water bath:
- 2 quarts of water
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp honey
What You Do
- In a food processor or blender, add one cup of shredded cheddar and blend until it forms into a fine powder.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the lukewarm water with yeast and a tbsp of white sugar and let sit for ten minutes. Then add flour, brown sugar, garlic powder, 1 cup of shredded cheese powder, garlic salt, diced jalapeno and a tsp of olive oil.
- Mix ingredients together and knead for 15-20 minutes (or about 10 minutes if using an electric mixer).
- Place the dough ball into a greased bowl, and let it sit for about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- Once the resting time for the dough is up, preheat oven to 415 and grease 2 foil (or parchment) lined baking sheets.
- Take the dough to a clean counter space and divide it into 8 equally sized dough balls. Roll each piece into a smooth ball. If the dough is too sticky, try wetting hands with water, or covering with a baking spray or a little olive oil.
- Place the balls on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap.
- Let them rest for another 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, get that water bath going. Add the water, honey, and brown sugar to a large pot or skillet.
- Over medium heat, let the water get to a slight boil.
- Take the dough balls and use your finger to stretch a large hole in the center. Set aside.
- Take the bagels in batches of two or three and place in the simmering water. Cook for ~2 minutes on each side. Then remove from water and placed on a greased baking sheet. Repeat for the rest of the bagels.
- Coat both sides of each bagel with egg wash/olive oil mixture. Then top the bagels with a hefty sprinkling of shredded cheddar cheese. You can press down lightly, super lightly, to embed the cheese in the bagel dough, but don’t smash it in there or you’ll end up with super flat bagels.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, flipping bagels halfway through.
- Remove from the baking sheet and allow bagels to cool.
- Serve with cream cheese!