It's that time again! The Gluten Free Ratio Rally is back and this time we're making bagels! Morri of Meals with Morri is hosting this month - so be sure to check over there for a full list of the bagel creations. I've tried to include a list at the end of this post as well.

When I think bagels, two primary types come to mind; the fluffy Noah's Bagels and the denser sprouted multi grain variety that I grew to love before realizing they were actually terrible for me.

My trials with developing a ratio for gluten free bagels began with a recipe posted on Michael Ruhlman's site and created by Bruce Ezzell. I knew from the start that I wanted to make egg bagels - so adding egg yolks was the first adjustment I made. I gave this newly egg-tastic recipe a try with the regular multigrain flour mix I use around the house and that turned out to be strike one. Multi grain just does not make the egg bagels I was going for. Next, I moved on to crafting a more mild flour blend that would let the eggs shine.

After some really dense bagels and others that exploded upon impact with the water bath, I ended up with the following ratios;

For the sponge; 50 parts gluten free flour mix : 50 parts water : 1 part psyllium whole husks : .3 parts yeast.

For the bagels; 54 parts gluten free flour mix : 10 parts egg yolk : 2 parts honey : 2 parts molasses : 1 part salt.

A couple of quick tips about making these bagels before we get going with the recipe;

While rising the finished bagel dough, I placed the baking sheets on the edge of my kitchen table, directly over a wall heater cranked to 80 degrees. This seems to work relatively well as opposed to just a sunny window. If you're placing the dough in a spot that's not quite as warm, you may not get as much of a rise.
When handling the bagels, starting from the point of creating the hole in the middle to after boiling them - be gentle! A mishandled bagel may end up exploding in your boil. Also, on the subject of boiling - I found that bagels left in the water for more than a total of 40 seconds also had a tendency to break open.
To boil the bagels, I used a 5 1/2 quart Dutch oven filled with 16 cups of water - so I used 1 tsp of baking soda.
Don't like garlic? Don't add it and you'll have regular egg bagels!

Garlic Egg Bagels for the Gluten Free Ratio Rally

Adapted from Bruce Ezzell's Recipe.

Ingredients

For the Sponge:

150 grams potato starch
150 grams sweet white rice flour
100 grams millet flour
100 grams brown rice flour
500 grams water
10 grams psyllium whole husks
3 grams yeast

For the bagels:

162 grams potato starch
162 grams sweet white rice flour
108 grams millet flour
108 grams brown rice flour
100 grams egg yolks (about six from large eggs)
20 grams honey
20 grams molasses
10 grams salt
about 8 cloves of garlic, chopped

Make

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl), whisk together the flours for the sponge and the psyllium whole husks.

Add water and stir together with a wooden spoon.

Cover and set aside in a warm place for about 6 hours.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours and salt for the bagels. Set aside.

Add the honey, molasses, and egg yolks to the sponge.

Using the bread hook attachment (or a strong arm) stir until well combined. You may need to scrape down the sides with a silicone spatula.

As the mixer is running, slowly add the flour mix. Continue to mix until well combined. The dough should begin to form together. If any loose flour remains in the bowl, knead the dough by hand to combine.

Shape the dough into a ball, cover, and set aside in a warm place for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Pinch off 3-inch clumps of dough, gently shape into balls, and place on the baking sheets. You should be able to get about 8 per sheet.

Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 10 minutes.

Place a large pot on the stove and fill with water to within 1-2 inches of the brim - measure the amount of water you add. Heat on medium high to bring to a boil. (Depending on your pot and stove this may take awhile - so judge when you should start this accordinly in your own kitchen.)

Gently flatten the balls into discs and using your thumb poke a hole through the middle.

Place back on the baking sheet, cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 10 minutes.

Gently flip the formed bagels, cover, and let rise in a warm place for another 10 minutes.

When the water is boiling, add 1/2 tsp of baking soda for every half gallon of water.

Using a large slotted spoon or spatula, gently pick up the bagels, and place them into the boiling water. They should rise to the top. Flip after 20 seconds. After another 20 seconds, lift the bagels out of the water and place back on to the parchment lined baking sheet.

Sprinkle the chopped garlic on top of the bagels.

Bake the boiled bagels at 450 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the tops are quite hard - the garlic is a good reference point. It should be quite brown before you remove the bagels. Remove from the oven and gently move the bagels to a wire cooling rack.

Let cool completely before enjoying.

Makes 16 small bagels.