Fiesta Bagels
Oooof. Well, after my stay-cay love affair with Roanoke, things took a turn south this week (and not south to Georgia which, let me tell you, I would have loved). To put it plain, my tires were slashed Monday night. Thankfully, it wasn’t Atlanta and I wasn’t parked outside a bar and then mugged/raped/murdered/whatever, it was Roanoke and it was just some deranged neighborhood kid (at least that’s who I’m thinking it was–why else attack the oldest/crappiest car on a block filled with Volvos & Mercedes???) who has nothing better to do than to go around town and slash tires. So the whole ordeal was nothing more than a pain in the arse and expensive. But if they ever catch who’s responsible…I’m gonna bust his/her ass. Seriously. I’m a grad student–you think I had $300 lyin’ around to replace perfectly good tires?
So the tire-slashing-thing kept me from hiking yesterday which put me in a sour mood. The Peaks of Otter awaited! Instead I spent the morning talking to my insurance company, joining AAA, and sitting around at the local National Tire & Battery store. Luckily dealing with insurance companies and car mechanics makes one hungry, so the bagels I’d made the day before to take on my hike came in handy as a quick lunch option post-tire replacement.
I’d been wanting to try my hand at bagels for awhile, Celine’s kagels are definitely on my to-do list, but I knew I wanted something with a kick, something that excited my palate. Thus the fiesta bagel was born. I’m sure it’s not an original idea, I probably saw it on a blog elsewhere, but my thought process at the time was, “make bagels” and “add salsa to said bagels.” The end result? Some pretty darn good bagels. I wish I’d had more salsa on hand (I’d recommend using 1/2 cup salsa instead of 1/4 and adjusting the water down to 1/2 c), but overall I was pleased with the little heat and the orangey color. They make me smile, and that’s about all I need these days!
Fiesta Bagels
adapted from Celine
1/2 tbsp (6 g) active dry yeast
1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 c warm water
1 c whole wheat flour
1 c bread flour (plus extra for kneading)
1/4 c salsa
hot sauce to taste (I added 6 splashes)
Add the yeast and salt to the warm water. Allow to proof for 10 minutes or until foamy.
In a large bowl (or in the bowl of your stand mixer) combine the flours, salsa, and hot sauce. Add the yeasted water and mix until a ball forms.
If kneading by hand, turn out the ball of dough onto a floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes, adding flour as needed, until the dough is soft and pliable (but not overly sticky). If using a stand mixer, use the dough attachment and knead at medium-low speed for 10 minutes, adding flour as necessary until a soft, pliable ball of dough forms.
After kneading, place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a moist towel or plastic wrap, and leave in a warm (but not hot) place to rise for 90 minutes or until doubled in size.
Punch down the dough. Divide it into 4 equal pieces and shape balls by pulling at the dough from the sides onto the bottom, to cloak. If the dough retracts when you try to shape it, give it 5 minutes to rest until it cooperates.
Insert your thumb in the center of each dough ball, and twirl dough around it until the hole reaches about 1 1/2 inches (3.8 cm) in size.
Let rest for about 15 minutes.
In the meantime, bring water to a boil in a large saucepan.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare a couple of large baking sheets with parchment paper, a silicone baking mat, such a Silpat, or grease them with a little oil.
Once the bagels have rested, place 4 bagels at a time in the saucepan, and let boil for 1 minute in all, flipping them over after 30 seconds: try to avoid having them get too close to one another. Scoop out bagels with a slotted spoon. Place on prepared baking sheets. Repeat until all bagels have been boiled.
Bake for about 24 minutes, one sheet at a time, until the bagels are golden brown and sound hollow when the bottom is tapped. Let cool on a wire rack.
Yield: 4 bagels
Oh, I’m so sorry your car was vandalized. I know the feeling. On the other hand, your bagels sound really delicious!
Sorry about your car, that sucks!
Your bagels sound awesome. I love the creative recipes I’ve been seeing lately for bagels.
boo. i hate deranged neighborhood kids.
but i love bagels! although i have never made them myself. yours look awesome
ugh, I’d have blown a fuse, totally
Your bagels on the other hand sound lecker
I have no experience in making bagels, but would one be able to add stuff to the dough ?
– like, chopped hot peppers, some corn or the likes ? kind of like a Mexican-inspired savoury muffagel ?
man, I should eat sth before I hit the blogs, definitely !
Oh no!! I’m so sorry to hear about your tires! Tat sucks. ):
I can’t believe I’ve still never tackled bagels… I’ve gone too long without trying! These are definitely going on the “to-make” list… Love the idea of having more flavorful, spicy bagels like these!
ugh… sorry lady… major bad karma coming their way eh???
glad your bagels helped ease the pain… those look pretty awesome to me!
that really stinks on your tires, Jes! jeez! i’m so sorry! my friend heather had her tires slashed once – it was parked right out in front of her building – how frustrating & a pain in the ass, fo ‘sho!
the peaks of otter = the best! we moved to virginia when i was 7 and my parents would take us kids hiking alllllll the time. pretty much every darn weekend (or every other) – it was awesome! we hiked the peaks of otter a ton (sharp top, flat top, apple orchard mountain. although i don’t know if apple orchard counts as peaks of otter, but it’s along the blue ridge parkway. oh, and i don’t remember how far away crabtree falls is, but if you get a chance to take a nice drive & want to see some more awesomeness – i recommend it as well) – they’re some glorious mountains, indeed!
fiesta bagels?!?! hellz yeah! i’m gonna have to make these for dan! mmmmmmmmmmmmmm!