Fresh Homemade Bagels.

Bagels are one of my favorite things to have for breakfast, toasted with butter is my favorite way to enjoy them with my coffee. Sometimes I am adventures and slice a bagel and smear a little mayo and stack up some cheddar and ham. I found a recipe that looked pretty easy and I wanted to try and that didn't take 2 days and a ton of time to rise and bake. I came across this recipe on the Tasty Kitchen called "Step by Step: Homemade bagels"

Put the yeast and warm water in the mixer bowl

Add the flour to the yeast and mix with the dough hook

I covered my bowl and put in a warm place to rise for about an hour. I just turned on my oven for a few minute to warm up,turned it off and put in the bowl. Make sure it's just warm in the oven.

I just put the dough on the counter with a little flour and kneed till smooth.

Divide the dough into four equal parts

roll each of the dough balls into a rope and shape into the shape of the bagel, seal the ends with water and place on a baking sheet to rise for 15 minutes

While these are in the oven rising, start a 5 quart pot to a gentle boil.
After they have risen, add, one at a time to the water and boil on each side for a minute or so, lift out with a slotted spoon then pat dry on a paper towel. (p.s. Don't leave the boiled bagel on the paper towel, it WILL stick and you will have a towel sided bagel, lol I did this so I know and can pass this knowledge on to you) OOps!

After I boiled and dried the bagels, I placed them on an oiled baking sheet and I sprinkled two with cinnamon and sugar and the other two with sea salt and some dried Italian seasoning.

Place in the oven for 18 minuets, sit back and wait for the aroma of fresh bagels to fill you house!

Fresh out of the oven.

You can take one now and enjoy how you like or wait for them to cool and wrap them in plastic wrap.

I waited till the next morning and had one toasted with butter,
Delicious!!

Hope you try these soon! The recipe only makes four so if you are like me and are the only one to eat these then it is the perfect recipe, but I am sure it will double or triple just fine.

Enjoy,
The Pastry Diva

10 Things I can't live without in my kitchen!

10 best ingredients in my kitchen
There is always some products that you use every time you cook and bake in your kitchen. Some gadgets that you cannot live without, some essential things that you absolutely adore.
Here are the best 10 ingredients, products that I use all the time and almost everyday. Without them, I would be nothing in a kitchen.

1. Sea salt. This is the only salt
that i use for cooking. Coarse and fine, both
2. Cinnamon.It goes well with almost every sweet treat.
3. Herbes de Provence. A french dried mix of herbs that is amazingly fragrant and versatile.
4. Extra virgin olive oil. That is the only oil that i use all the time.
5. Heavy cream. For finishing the soups, the sauces, the pastas, the salads.
6. Cheeses. All kinds. I use the leftover scraps of cheeses in soups, on a pizza. I never throw away cheese.
7. Vanilla Sugar.I make this by adding vanilly beans to granulated suger.
8. Parmesan cheese. As a garnish on salads, pastas, soups, as well as in cubes for an easy tapas.
9. Ice cream. It is always an indispensable to make a last minute dessert.
10. Butter.Butter.Butter! Do i have to say more ...