I was reminded that I haven't made bagels in a long time. So, I decided to remedy that this weekend!
And I was inspired by this new spice blend from Spiceology that was on my shelf: Ooomami! How did I not know that someone in my food writing circle was behind this collaboration?! Girl Carnivore is Kita Roberts; and she is the force behind the annual #BurgerMonth event. I've participated for a half a decade or so.
Burger Month is such a fun, carnivorous parade of burger creations. But this post is about bagels...and umami. The spice blend - ooomami - is a play on the word umami. If you ask someone what the basic tastes are, and
they are of a certain age, they'll reply: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. They
might even be able to show you, on their tongue, where the flavor receptors for
those flavors are. But in the 1980s a fifth taste group was recognized: umami
which translates to something along the links of savory or meaty. It's a flavor
that is present in foods that contain a high level of the amino acid glutamate
such as parmesan cheese, seaweed, miso paste, and mushrooms.
Girl Carnivore's Ooomami spice blend is the embodiment of all those elements. SO delicious.
Ingredients makes 8 bagels
- 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1 Tablespoon organic granulated sugar
- 1-1/4 cup warm water plus more as needed
- 3-1/4 cups flour plus more for kneading
- 1 teaspoon salt (I used the Tung Fu Salt from Big Sur Salts that has passion fruit wild salt, toasted coconut, lemongrass, Birdseye Thai chili, lime)
- Ooomami spice blend, as needed
- black and white sesame seeds, as needed
- poppy seeds, as needed
Procedure
Pour 1/2 cup warm water in a medium mixing bowl. Add in the sugar and the yeast. Let bloom for 5 to 10 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Form a well in the center and pour in the yeast mixture. Add another 1/2 cup warm water to the well also. Use a wooden spoon to combine to form a stiff dough. You may need another 1/4 water if the dough is too stiff.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured countertop. Knead the dough until it is smooth an elastic, approximately 10 minutes.
Oil a large mixing bowl and place the dough inside, rolling it over so that every surface of your ball is covered. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size. Punch the dough down, then let it rest for another 10 minutes.
After the dough has rested for a second time, divide the dough into 8 pieces. I am not that precise, so they are uneven. But you can weigh them if you wish.
Roll the dough into a ball. Press your thumb into the center of each dough ball to form a ring. Gently stretch the ring to about a third of the diameter of the bagel. Place the bagel on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat with all the dough until you have eight bagels.
After shaping the dough let them rest while you bring a large pot of water to a boil and preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once the water has come to a rolling boil, lower the bagels into the water. Don't crowd them; I usually do four at a time. Boil the bagels for 2 minutes before flipping them over and boiling them for another 2 minutes.
Place them back on the baking sheet and sprinkle them with whatever topping you desire. I used the Ooomami seasoning blend along with sesame and poppy seeds. Put the tray in the oven until the bagels are golden brown, approximately 20 to 25 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
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