Bagels are back!

Bagels and breakfast went hand in hand when we lived in California. I would always be sure to have a fresh supply on hand and saved just the right amount of time in the morning to slice and slather. Peanut butter and honey were frequent toppers. Since moving to Berlin, however, bagels are much harder to come by. That is until yesterday. A German colleague who spent some time in the US gave me a recipe and promised me that these bagels would be just like the ones at home. With our German-English dictionary by our side, Matt and I translated this German recipe to create deliciously warm and toasty sesame bagels!! We did not have bread flour, so it could be why the dough did not rise as much as we would have liked. Next time we will try poppy seed, onion, and maybe even cinnamon raisin. This may become a weekend ritual! Here's the roughly translated recipe. Any other seasoning ideas?? Send 'em our way!

BAGEL RECIPE
ca. 14 bagels

Ingredients:
1/4 c sugar
2.2 c water
2 pkgs. dry yeast
1/8 c salt
7.5-8 c flour
1 tbsp. sugar
assorted toppings

1.) Dissolve sugar and yeast in water in a bowl. Stir until dissolved.
2.) Sprinkle salt in the flour, and combine with the yeast mixture. Knead by hand or with mixer until dough is soft and smooth (5-10 min.). Form dough into a ball and place in bowl covered with a wet towel. Allow to sit undisturbed for 45 min. Dough should rise.
3.) Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Fill a big pot with water and add one tbsp. of sugar. Bring water & sugar to a boil.
4.) While waiting for water to boil, flatten dough (should be sticky--do not add flour) and cut 14 equal strips. Roll each strip into a "wurst" (SO German!) and fold around your hand to form a circle. Roll the ends together securely.
5.) Place batches of bagels in water and keep at a light boil. Be sure bagels are not touching each other at the bottom of the pot. Bagels should float to the top when they are ready (about 2 minutes).
6.) Place bagels on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or other desired toppings.
7.) Bake in oven for 22 minutes or until golden brown.

Don't forget the "Philadelphia", as they call it here! ENJOY!

Happy New Year!

We've just returned from a fun and festive time at home. We had 2 weeks off, so split our time evenly between Massachusetts (for Christmas) and PA (for New Years). I was able to go home for a few weeks this past summer, but Matt had not been home for a whole year! It was so much fun catching up with family and friends and enjoying all of the comforts of home. Luckily the airlines do not weigh PEOPLE on flights home, because we definitely gained a few kilos after enjoying all of our favorites this holiday season!! Several Philly cheesesteaks, Judy's blueberry pancakes, pizza on South Street, NY-style bagels, Matt's meatballs, Ellie's turkey sandwiches, an amazing Italian Dinner at Aunt Cindy's on Christmas Day...we did not hold back one bit! As always, it was so nice catching up with everyone and just being at home. It's not always easy being so far away, but it does make it extra special during the times when we are all together again. We are SO lucky to have 2 wonderfully amazing families!!

Wishing you all a very happy 2010!