REPOSTING A MUCH LOVED AND USED BAGEL RECIPE

Esther (aka Star) has a long-standing tradition of making bagels for the crew working in the last days of shutdown at Bridgestone. (Isn't she just awesome! - One of the many reasons peoples love her.)  Many moons and suns ago, Noam (GardenGnome) shared a link to a fantastically easy and delicious recipe that was adopted and copied into a Google doc for ease of use. Time rolled on, it was used each each year for Shutdown Treats for the Guys and for any other bagel-making ventures. This year, tragedy struck - it was discovered that some of the doc had been overwritten and the beginning of the recipe was lost. 

We went back into the archives and found GardenGnome's post (Shoutout for sharing originally and to Thomas for remembering where it came from!)  - and we have decided to repost the recipe here with Esther's little notes and adjustments so that the recipe (just the recipe without the original poster's story and FAQs and all) is posted for our edification for time eternal in case the original poster removes their link (or until the world collapses and this  particular blogpost poofs out along with all the rest of the interwebs). The notes I added are purple: RB is Rebekah (maggiemagster), EC is Esther (Star)

New York-Style Bagel Recipe (Esther uses for Shutdown)

Prep Time: 20 minutes | 
Cook Time: 20 minutes
 | Additional Time: 1 hour 20 minutes | Total Time: 2 hours 

Yield: 8 medium bagels |  - RB: Note: JUST DOUBLE IT!!! If you are going to make these, might as well make enough to share! 😉

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons / 6 g active dry yeast

• 4 ½ teaspoons / 19 g granulated sugar

• 1 ¼ cups / 300 ml warm water (you may need ± ¼ cup /60 ml more)

• 3 ½ cups / 440 g bread flour or high gluten flour (you may need up to 1/2 cup / 60g for kneading)

• 1 ½ teaspoons / 6 g salt

• Bowl with some cornmeal (¼-⅓ cup?)

• For Onion bagel (most often made): 1/2 cup minced onion (+ a little for topping the bagels) 

• Optional Toppings: (Refer to Notes)

Instructions

1. In ½ cup /120ml of the warm water, pour in the sugar and yeast. Do not stir. Let it sit for five minutes, and then stir the yeast and sugar mixture until it all dissolves in the water.  (RB didn’t read properly and put all the water to bloom in 2026 – it seemed to work out…..)

2. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in the yeast and sugar mixture. EC note: When doing onion bagels, add minced onion to the flour BEFORE adding the wets. 

3. Pour ⅓ cup / 80ml of warm water into the well. Mix and stir in the rest of the water (the scant ½ cup / 100ml that is remaining), as needed. Depending on where you live, you may need to add an additional couple tablespoons to about ¼ cup/60ml of water. You want a moist and firm dough after you have mixed it.

4. On a floured countertop, knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Try working in as much flour as possible to form a firm and stiff dough.

5. Lightly brush a large bowl with oil and turn the dough to coat. Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in size. Punch the dough down, and let it rest for another 10 minutes.

6. Carefully divide the dough into 8 pieces (OG poster uses a scale to be extra precise, but it’s not necessary). Shape each piece into a round. Now, take a dough ball, and press it gently against the countertop (or whatever work surface you’re using) moving your hand and the ball in a circular motion pulling the dough into itself while reducing the pressure on top of the dough slightly until a perfect dough ball forms. Repeat with 7 other dough rounds.

7. Coat a finger in flour, and gently press your finger into the center of each dough ball to form a ring. Stretch the ring to about ⅓ the diameter of the bagel and *place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Repeat the same step with the remaining dough.

   *OR have a bowl with cornmeal – dip the formed bagel into the bowl of cornmeal to coat the bottom then place on a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

8. After shaping the bagels and placing them on the cookie sheet, *cover with a damp kitchen towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425ºF / 220ºC / Gas Mark 7/ Convection: 410ºF 

   *For making up dough night before: STOP – in lieu of counter rest, cover and put into the fridge. Once you pull out, let rest for half-an-hour, then proceed with instructions below.

9. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Reduce the heat. Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to lower the bagels into the water. Boil as many as you are comfortable with boiling. Once the bagels are in, it shouldn’t take too long for them to float to the top (a couple seconds). Let them sit there for 1 minute, and then flip them over to boil for another minute. Extend the boiling times to 2 minutes each, if you’d prefer a chewier bagel (results will give you a more New York-Style bagel with this option). *EC note: Put the bagels into the water bottom-side up. Boil for 1.5 minutes. Flip, 1.5 more minutes, then put on cooling rack to drain.

10. If you want to add toppings to your bagels, do so as you take them out of the water. *Alternatively, you can use an egg wash to get the toppings to stick before baking the bagels. You may want to use the “Optional Toppings” listed above to top the bagels. Use just one topping, or a combination to make your own Everything Bagel Seasoning. *NOT alternatively - MUST use egg wash all over the top of the bagel.

11. Once all the bagels have boiled (and have been topped with your choice of toppings), transfer them to an oiled or parchment-lined baking sheet.

12. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until golden brown (OG poster usually errs on the side of 20 minutes).

13. Cool on a wire rack. Eat! Consume with gusto with butter or cream cheese or whatever else you deem tasty! 

Notes

Optional Toppings:

Caraway seeds, cinnamon sugar, coarse salt, minced fresh garlic, minced fresh onion, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning, or a mix of your favorite flavors.

Water measurement & similar concerns:

The recipe measurements for the water in the recipe is a guide; not all 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) will be used unless you need it. This is because of environmental factors (humidity, temperature, altitude, etc.) and the flour you are using. The most important thing when making the dough is to make sure it is homogenous and smooth– do not get caught up on the water measurement. If the dough is too firm, add in more water to ensure the dough is not dry and flaky– this has to be done when mixing the dough, not after you’ve allowed it to rise.

For any customization ideas or FAQs from the OG poster (he has a lot of good information), : see the blogpost Sophisticated Gourmet

a non-clutter gift idea

 I am very materially blessed.  I have tools for most tasks.  I do not want for stuff - quite the contrary.

So, here is my request:

In lieu of physical presents send me a poem - original or not - and a picture to go with.  Physical and digital are both good.

I plan to compile in a short POD book, if there is enough.  I cannot use copyright encumbered material for this project.                                 

Basic Bread - Quick Rise Method

 This is the base quickrise bread recipe which can be modified.

In a large bowl mix:

2 cups bread flour

1 Tbsp yeast

1 tsp salt

Add 

1 cup room temp water

1 - 2 Tbsp olive oil (or other fat)

Wire whip to a batter *

Knead in 2-½ to 3 cups (whole wheat!) flour with dough hook or hand. Watch for the dough to separate from the bowl as you add the last bit. This is your cue that you have a good soft dough in process.

Knead for 10 minutes.

Make a ball of the dough.  Place in oiled (3 quart or larger) bowl. Turn the dough over so the top is also oiled.

Cover with plastic wrap and towel.  Let rise for about an hour or till doubled in size.

***

Punch down the dough.  Let rest for a few minutes. Prep your bread pan with shortening or oil.  

Form the loaf and place in the pan (or on the baking sheet, or…) Cover with towel again.

Let rise for another hour or doubling in size.

***

Pre heat oven to 350 F.  (start pre-heat halfway through the second rise)

Bake ~45 minutes for loaf bread

***

We can discuss variations in comments.

Baked Beans

Every year at shutdown, the folks, whether vendors or Bridgestone folks, would generously provide food for the people working around July 4th.  Most of the bears haven't really enjoyed that obligatory staple of cook-outs down south - the typically syrupy baked beans.  This, however, is a side worth making - it can be a meal, and is delicious.  On request of El Senor for a Labor Day picnic this year, I searched back and found the base of the following recipe Mama Donna generously forwarded to me a few years back.  As the original was scaled to serve 300, and we were expecting 5-10 people, I had to scale it back, and, as always, work with the ingredients on hand.  It met with warm approval by those present.  Enjoy!

Baked Beans

For 15 – scaled down x20 from the recipe Bridgestone maintenance crew leader Bob Croyle shared ~

½ large can Bush’s brown sugar and bacon beans (7.5lb cans – I used two 1 lb 12 oz cans)

¼ lb bacon – I used ½ lb about

½ lb ground beef – I used 1 lb

¼ large onion – I used one small to mid-sized onions

1-2 jalapenos – I used one serano and half a jalapeno, seeds all scraped out

 

Garlic powder – used a light sprinkle and 2-3 cloves fresh

Cumin - used

Smoke paprika - used

Black pepper (fresh ground)

White pepper (did not have – otherwise would have used)

Seasoning blend like Essence of Emeril (used a very light sprinkle of Tony Chashere’s)

Cayenne pepper (did not use)

Montreal steak seasoning blend - used, lightly

Worcestershire sauce (I forgot to put in – didn’t add in later)

 

Cut bacon into 1 inch pieces. Cook bacon until all fat is rendered and bacon is crisp. Remove bacon. Slice jalapenos and onions thin and cook in bacon fat until nice and soft then remove.  (added the fresh garlic here for about 30 seconds) Add hamburger to remaining fat and brown and crumble. Remove hamburger meat until about 1/8 - ¼ cup remains and continue cooking until just about burnt.

Add bacon, onions, jalapenos, and hamburger to the beans and mix thoroughly.  Add the rest of the spices listed to your discretion. We do a liberal dusting of all spices except cayenne and just a light dusting of that. Mix again.  Bake off in oven until heated.

They are even better then next day after all of the seasonings meld together well.

Basic Scones

*This is S. Mahoney's recipe, with a comment or so from myself.

2 cups flour    (I often replace a half cup or so with wheat flour, home-ground)

1 Tbsp baking powder

2 Tbsp Sugar (Can be replaced with a Tablespoon of honey added in with the buttermilk)

½ tsp salt

6 Tbsp unsalted butter

½ cup buttermilk (or more) (If no buttermilk, sour your milk with Lemon juice or Apple cider - or use kefir, if you have plenty on hand that needs to be used up)

Lightly beaten egg (optional)

Mix dry ingredients.    Cut in 6 Tablespoons butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.    (E - I have grated the butter in before cutting it in with a fork, to good effect.) Make a well in the center and pour in buttermilk.    If you don't have buttermilk, use regular milk.    Mix until dough clings together and is a bit sticky—do not overmix.

Turn out dough onto a floured surface and shape into a 6-8 inch round (or two smaller disks) about 1 ½ inch thick and cut into pie wedges.    The secret of tender scones in minimal handling.    Place on ungreased cookie sheet, being sure the sides of scones do not touch each other.    Brush with egg for a beautiful brown scone.    Bake at 425 degrees for 10 to 20 minutes, or until light brown.

Taken from If Teacups Could Talk by Emily Barnes, with edits.

Protein Pleasure Cookie - Butterscotch and White Chocolate

 This is courtesy of Trim Healthy - using their official protein pleasure cookie recipe with minimal changes.

Trim healthy Official

Protein Pleasure Cookie - Chocolate Chip

DRY INGREDIENTS 

• 1⅓ cups TH Baking Blend 

• ½ cup TH Erythritol (OR ½ cup TH Gentle Sweet and omit the stevia) 

• ½ cup TH Integral Collagen 

• ¼ cup TH Just Gelatin 

• 1 Tbs sunflower lecithin (optional) [I have made it both with and without this with good results]

• ½ tsp baking soda 

• ½ tsp TH Mineral Salt 

• ⅛ tsp TH Pure Stevia Extract (omit if using TH Gentle Sweet) 

WET INGREDIENTS 

• 3 eggs 

• ½ cup coconut oil or butter, softened 

• 1 tsp TH Natural Burst Caramel Extract [instead of this, I use a little blackstrap molasses and some extra vanilla extract]

• 1 tsp TH Natural Burst Vanilla Extract 

ADD-INS 

• ½ cup plan approved chocolate chips [a favorite variation is about a half cup of choc zero butterscotch chips and a cup of choc zero white chocolate chips - I have also used Lily's]

• I also add about 1/3 cup of chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

2. Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl. 

3. Mix wet ingredients in a small bowl. 

4. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients. 

5. Hand mix add-ins (fold in carefully). 

6. Let stand for 3 minutes. 

7. Form cookies and place them about 2 inches apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets or spray pans with coconut oil spray. 

        **To make huge cookies that have 15g of protein each, use 3-4 Tbs of dough per cookie. This will yield 10 cookies. 

        **To make regular sized cookies, use 1-2 Tbs of dough per cookie. This will yield 20-24 cookies. 

8. Slightly flatten dough with your hand and bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. 

9. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.

01 October

 Let leaves yellow, curl, fall -

fall to grass overlooking the olive river.

The ground exhales the autumn air

and trees rustle and breathe.

The quiet conversation continues

in scent and whisper

and love to love

until all rest in winter's blankets.