My First Daring Bakers Challenge: BAGELS!
Well everyone, I did it!
I got through my first Daring Bakers Challenge and I am thrilled with the results. I am not sure bagels are something I would make from scratch again – they are time consuming and so easy to buy, that I am not sure it is time efficient! But I am thrilled with the fact that I was up to the challenge and met it with creativity and fun! This month’s challenge, REAL HONEST JEWISH PURIST’S BAGELS was chosen by Freya and Jenny.
Well my first challenge was not without its tragedies as baking for me generally is, but I was able to overcome them! The first hurdle was when I started the recipe and was proofing my yeast and realized that I did not have enough yeast. So I had to run out to the store for yeast and start all over again. Not much lost – just 6 TBS of honey and some poor little yeast whose dream of being baked into bagels were crushed as they were un-ceremoniously dumped down the drain. Next tragedy was when I started boiling the bagels and the beautiful smooth crust on them began to break down, and they really looked like blobs of cellulite floating in my pot. Not very pretty.
Thankfully through the baking process they smoothed out and became the beautiful little baked goods they were meant to be!
The rules of the challenge were simple – follow the recipe, do not add anything to the dough and be creative only with the toppings or the spread inside. We were reminded that this is intended to be a savory baked good – so keep the sweets out of it! So here is my version…
I thought it would be nice to put some nuts into my bagels as I generally enjoy a little crunch and texture with my baked goods. My filling, a balsamic-fig jam with whipped cream cheese and prosciutto dictated my choice of nuts for the topping – Pignoli, or Pine nuts. The combination of tastes and textures worked perfectly and it was a delicious sandwich – every bite of which I enjoyed!
INGREDIENTS:
Balsamic-Fig Jam
½ cup dried figs
1 TBS balsamic vinegar
1 tsp superfine sugar
2 TBS Spanish Marcona almonds
METHOD:
Place all items in food processor and whirl until well blended. The consistency will be a little chunky – you can make it as chunky as you desire.
So this is my showcase item for the challenge, but since there were 14 more bagels, I played around with all of them….I just couldn’t help it! I created some strange but tasty varieties such as Pecan w/ Cinnamon Sugar, Chocolate Chip and Coconut w/ Tropical Dried Fruit. I plan on making a bagel bread pudding with a few of the sweet ones!
I had a really fun time making bagels. I think my favorite part was shaping the bagels. There was just something so satisfying about turning a big blob of dough into that cute little bagel shape we all know and love!
I am looking forward to next month’s challenge!
Rock Out Daring Bakers!
KJ - June 27, 2007 at 7:30 am
Both your bagels and the filling look delicious. You were far more adventurous than I was. I love the idea of sweet bagel pudding.
Figs Olives Wine - June 27, 2007 at 7:46 am
Love this and congratulations! The fig jam was a stroke of genius!
Cheryl - June 27, 2007 at 9:56 am
That is some filling. I’m coming to your house for lunch. Your bagels are fantastic.
Christine - June 27, 2007 at 9:59 am
Those looks SO good! I love your combination of fillings and I’m just so impressed that someone can actually make their own homemade bagels!!
Amanda - June 27, 2007 at 10:13 am
They look great and the fillings tooBalsamic fig jam sounds yummy too! Like the description ‘blobs of cellulite floating in my pot. Not very pretty.’
Georgia - June 27, 2007 at 10:28 am
Man, the filling alone in these looks amazing! I can’t wait to try them out.
Meeta - June 27, 2007 at 10:33 am
Congrats on your first DB challenge Jenn. These look great and so does the filling!
breadchick - June 27, 2007 at 11:39 am
Congrats on first DB Challenge! Great job on your bagels!!!
Patricia Scarpin - June 27, 2007 at 11:46 am
You filling is fancy, Jenn! The bagels look incredible!
Peter - June 27, 2007 at 12:17 pm
They look look good and I’m not a big fan of bagels but those pine nuts make them tempting. Bravo!
ilva - June 27, 2007 at 1:53 pm
nice photos and lovely bagels, not to speak about the fillings!
Helen - June 27, 2007 at 1:58 pm
Hey Jenn! Look great…that second pic almost did me in!
P.S: I have posted the foodie blogroll on my blog, but can’t see my blog name there. any idea?
veron - June 27, 2007 at 2:31 pm
Love those toasted pine nuts. And Fig jam? heavenly!
gilly - June 27, 2007 at 2:34 pm
Great job on your first DB challenge! LOL that’s the second cellulite reference I’ve read!
I love your choice of filling – it sounds like such a complimentary combination! Great work!
Katiez - June 27, 2007 at 3:29 pm
Now I’m really hungry for bagels!
They look great, esp. the sandwich…I love bagel sandwiches.
Ham and cream cheese on an onion bagel…. mmmmm
Jerry - June 27, 2007 at 4:10 pm
Jenny,
We all know yours turned out lovely! And I’m sure you could create lovely variations!
Elle - June 27, 2007 at 4:29 pm
Great looking bagel sandwich and super photo, too.
While boiling they did look sort of like they had cellulite…as with human thighs, turning golden brown after baking made them look better.
Love that you used pine nuts on top…perfect with that filling. Congrats on your first successful Daring Baker challenge!
MyKitchenInHalfCups - June 27, 2007 at 5:52 pm
Fantastic first! Jenn I love the fig jam and the pine nuts and I really love that with the leftovers you’re going for bread pudding! So glad you’ve joined us and likewise I’m looking forward to the July challenge. The first hard part about it will be waiting to find out what it is.
The Leftover Queen - June 27, 2007 at 7:13 pm
Wow You Guys! Thanks so much for these wonderful responses! I am overwhelmed! 🙂
I will respond to everyone individually as soon as I can, and go check out what all the other Daring Bakers did with their bagels!
THANK YOU!
sandi @ the whistlestop cafe - June 27, 2007 at 10:44 pm
I am uber impressed!
I will make some fig jam to go on my bagels… the ones I get at panera bread 😉
Jenny - June 27, 2007 at 10:57 pm
Wow! If there were an award for original fillings, you’d win it hands down! What great looking bagels!
Thanks for being part of it!
peabody - June 28, 2007 at 2:53 am
Excellent job I love the use of the pine nuts…and your filling sounds fantastic!
Mary - June 28, 2007 at 3:59 am
My favorite would have to be your pecan cinnamon sugar. That just sounds so delicious! Very nice job on your first challenge.
baking soda - June 28, 2007 at 8:13 am
Great job Jenn! I wish we had thought of pine nuts, combination sounds lovely. Congrats on completing this first challenge. Now wait for the next….drumbeat…
The Leftover Queen - June 28, 2007 at 8:57 am
Thank you guys, so much for your support of my first Daring Baker’s Challenge! As many of you know I am not a Baker by any stretch of the imagination and I have been afraid of getting my hands into dough – literally. That feeling of sticky dough on my hands was like finger nails on a chalk board to others. So I was happy that the first challenge was a bread – because I got to size up and conquer that fear head on, first time around! And you know what? It wasn’t that bad! 🙂
*KJ – Yeah, I am not a huge bread person, but I LOVE bread pudding, so I thought rather than letting them go to waste, or letting Roberto eat them all, I would make something we can all enjoy!
*Figs! Thanks – No wonder you like the jam! 😉
*Cheryl – They were delicious! I recommend trying this combo anyday! You are welcome to come for lunch! 🙂
*Christine! Thanks! I must admit, I am pretty impressed by this as well!
*Amanda! Yeah, the blobs did look rather disgusting until they baked up beautifully!
*Georgia! Thanks for stopping by! Let me know how it works out!
*Meeta, thanks! Yours were quite beautiful and original as well!
* BreadChick, thanks!
*Patricia, thanks! wasn’t it fun?
*Peter, I am with you, I am not usually big into bagels so I made them inot something I would enjoy!
*Ilva, Thanks! That is a great compliment coming from you!
*Helen, thank you! I loved your bagels as well! I psoted a comment on your blog – you are all set on the blogroll!
*Veron! Thank you!
*Gilly, I t is a great combination! I am sure it would be delicious on any other bread as well!
*Katiez – Onion bagels! Yum, I do like those!
*Jerry, thanks so much!
*Elle, that totally cracked me up! So true! Very witty!
*Half Cups – well I am known as the Leftover Queen – I wouldn’t be doing my job if I wasn’t already thinking about Leftovers! 😉
*Sandi! Thanks – well that works!
*Jenny! Thank you – that means a lot!
*peabody! Thanks!
*Mary – yes, I love those, htye looked like peacan rolls – yummy – those will be great in the bread pudding me thinks.
*Thanks Bakingsoda! I am looking forward to it as well!
brilynn - June 28, 2007 at 9:40 am
That looks like one serious sandwich, I want one!
Joselle - June 28, 2007 at 10:01 am
Hi Jenn,
I left two comments last night about how absolutely yummy your bagel sandwich looks like but the thunderstorm around me knocked them both out! Anyways, what a great job. And I would definitely pay money for those chocolate chip coconut ones.
Also, thanks for the add to the Foodie Blogroll!
marye - June 28, 2007 at 3:04 pm
oh those look good!
Cynthia - June 28, 2007 at 4:27 pm
Congratulations Jenn! Bagels look moist, I particularly like the filling 🙂
Ivonne - June 28, 2007 at 9:18 pm
Wow! Like everyone else I’m so impressed. Congratulations on your first DB challenge! Your bagels are beautiful!
Lisa - June 29, 2007 at 6:49 am
Way to go, Jenn! Your bagels look heavenly – and I am completely drooling over the fig/cheese spread with the prosciutto.. heavenly!
Congrats on your first challenge!
xoxo
Glenna - June 29, 2007 at 8:57 am
Love the pignoli! Don’t you hate that when you think you have all of your ingredients and find out at the last minute that you’re missing something? Grrrr….but you really came through.
Jennifer - June 29, 2007 at 1:08 pm
Those do look marvelous- mmm pine nuts!!!!
The Leftover Queen - June 29, 2007 at 3:30 pm
Hi Brilynn! It was really good!
Thanks Joselle! I loved the cocolate chip one, but I wish I had put Nutella on it, instead I just ate it warm out of the oven – it was kina like a chocolate croissant, but it was a chocolate bagel!
Thanks Marye!
Hi Cynthia! They were really moist, after a day I had to put them in the fridge so they wouldn’t get moldy!
Ivonne! Thanks so much!
Thanks Lisa! They were really good!
Glenna! Yeah, I was really disappointed about the hazelnuts, but after eating the bagels with the pignoli, I felt pretty okay about the situation! 😉
Thanks Jennifer! 🙂
Valli - June 29, 2007 at 6:28 pm
Hey Jenn,
Congratulations on your DB Challenge!!It has been years since I have tried making bagels. I opt for making something quick and simple like “English Muffin Loaf”. It needs only one rising, a coating of cornmeal and some time in the oven. You can add whatever you like for flavour… I will take the cue from you and suggest pine nuts or sunflower seeds, different grated hard cheeses…whatever you desire!! Experiment!!!The recipe makes 2 loaves. One for slicing in the toaster and one for the freezer (if it lasts thatlong in my household!!!)If it continues to rain this weekend I may try making bagels…yours looked SOOOOOOO good!!!!
Anne - June 29, 2007 at 9:07 pm
your bagels are great especially with the fillings that you’ve come up. Well done on your first DB challenge 🙂
The Leftover Queen - June 30, 2007 at 9:44 am
Hi Valli! Thank you!
Yeah, I love quick bake breads, because they are more like cake. I also love using the bread machine to make bread, but I feel very accomplished that I did it all with my hands!Good Luck with your bagel baking venture!
Anne! Thank you! I enjoyed the challenge very much and creating all those different bagels!
Amy - June 30, 2007 at 8:14 pm
Your bagels look wonderful! I’m bookmarking the fig jam recipe, what a great idea!
The Leftover Queen - June 30, 2007 at 10:22 pm
Thanks Amy! I hope you like it!
Jennifer - July 2, 2007 at 12:06 pm
Is that HAM on the bagel 🙂
??
The Leftover Queen - July 2, 2007 at 3:29 pm
It is actually prosciutto which is a cured Italian style ham.