Cinnamon-Raisin Bagels

From EatingWell: March/April 1996, The Essential EatingWell Cookbook (2004) — Subscribe Now!

If you love to bake, these hearty homemade bagels are well worth the effort. Serve them warm with a little reduced-fat cream cheese.

READER'S COMMENT:

"OMG - I made this recipe way back in 96. It was the first time i had made bagels and they turned out beautifully! Over the years I lost the magazine somewhere and thus the recipes! So glad to have it back..will be baking these over the...

12 three-ounce bagels

Active Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 1/2 hours

Nutrition Profile

Low cholesterol | Low saturated fat | Heart healthy | High fiber | View Complete Nutrition Guidelines»

Ingredients

Bagels

1 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour, or white whole-wheat flour
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3-4 cups bread flour
1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Kettle water

6 quarts water
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

Preparation

Put raisins in a small bowl and add enough boiling water to cover; let stand for 5 minutes. Drain and blot dry with a paper towel.
Whisk lukewarm water, 1/4 cup brown sugar, honey, yeast and oil in a large bowl until the yeast dissolves. Stir in whole-wheat flour, cinnamon, salt and the raisins. Stir in enough of the bread flour to make a soft dough, about 21/2 cups.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead, gradually incorporating more flour, until the dough is smooth and quite firm, 10 to 12 minutes. Cover with a clean cloth and let rest for 10 minutes.
Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a 10-inch-long rope. Form bagels by overlapping the ends by 1 inch. Pinch together firmly. Set the bagels aside, uncovered, to rise until slightly puffy, about 20 minutes.
To kettle & bake bagels: Preheat oven to 450°F. Line 1 large or 2 small baking sheets with parchment paper. Bring 6 quarts water and 2 tablespoons brown sugar to a boil in a large pot.
Slip several risen bagels at a time into the pot"the water should be at a lively simmer. Cook for 45 seconds, turn them over with a slotted spoon or tongs and cook for 45 seconds longer. Remove the bagels with a slotted spoon and drain on a clean kitchen towel; place on the prepared baking sheet(s). Brush with egg white.
Place the bagels in the oven, reduce heat to 425° and bake for 15 minutes. Turn the bagels over and bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes more.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Freeze fresh (and properly cooled) bagels immediately unless you are eating them all that day.

If you like, substitute the new white whole-wheat flour for the regular whole-wheat flour in this recipe. You will get a lighter texture but have all the nutrition found in regular whole-wheat.
If it's not on your supermarket shelves, it can be ordered from The King Arthur Flour Baker's Catalogue, (800) 827-6836. Whole-wheat flours should be stored in the refrigerator to keep them fresh.

Nutrition

Per bagel: 261 calories; 2 g fat (0 g sat, 1 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 55 g carbohydrates; 7 g protein; 4 g fiber; 613 mg sodium; 21 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Fiber & Iron (15% dv), Folate (26% dv).

3 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, /2 fruit, 1/2 other carbohydrate