Bagels

In Los Angeles's street food markets, traditional German bagels are given a makeover by being topped with cream cheese, scrambled eggs, peppered bacon, jalapenos, and sliced tomatoes. The yeasty sweetness of the bagels is combined with additional fillings, including jalapenos, in this creamy, cheesy new dish. Try these authentic German bagels, recreated in Los Angeles.

Ingredients: (3 parts: the dough, the poaching liquid, and the bagel topping)

• Bread flour – Because of its high protein content, bread flour makes these homemade bagels delightfully chewy. This recipe also works with all-purpose flour, they’re just a bit less chewy than bagels made with bread flour.
• Maple syrup – It activates the yeast and gives the bagels a hint of sweetness.
• Warm water – Along with the maple syrup, it gets the yeast going, and it brings the dough together.
• Active dry yeast – They couldn’t rise without it!
• Sea salt – It’s key for really flavorful homemade bagels.

Steps:

1. First, make the dough. Activate the yeast by mixing it with warm water and maple syrup. When it foams, add it to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, and mix it with the flour and salt until the dough is smooth and not sticky, about 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Then, transfer the dough to a clean work surface and knead by hand for 2 to 3 minutes. Form it into a ball and place it in a large bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it aside for 60 to 90 minutes, until the dough has almost doubled in size.
3. Now for the fun part: shaping the bagels! Turn the dough out onto an un-floured work surface and divide it into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball.
4. Sprinkle a few drops of water onto the work surface, and roll each dough ball into a rope about 9 inches long.
5. Place one hand palm up so that your four fingers are centered on top of the rope. Fold each side of the dough over your fingers, so that the ends overlap by about 2 inches. Holding the dough, turn your hand over and roll it on the countertop to seal the two ends together.
6. Place the finished bagels onto 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
7. The next morning, boil and bake! Remove the dough from the fridge, and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour while you preheat the oven and bring the poaching liquid to a boil.
8. Working in batches, add the bagels to the boiling water and cook them for 1 minute per side. Return them to the baking sheets, coat them with your desired bagel topping, and bake for 14 to 18 minutes, or until they’re lightly golden brown. Enjoy!