Gluten Free Bagels
Remember Bagels and Schmear? Those were the good ol days weren’t they!?
Remember those Weight Watchers bagels that went viral on Pinterest a million years ago? I remember at the time thinking how gross it sounded to mix yogurt and flour together and bake it…well here we are, I’ve obviously grown up a ton haha. Something about being on some shade of an elimination diet for long periods can leave you longing for something even vaguely familiar.
I’ve tried several recipes and found them to be gummy little hockey pucks, or rolls with holes. I’ve personally not had great luck with mixes either, but that could just be because I suck at following directions. I need something I can follow loosely and have it not be a complete catastrophe when I cut corners m’kay.
I woke up with a craving for bagels and decided to forego the gluten filled variety from the shop around the corner (mostly because it was cold out and I didn’t want to leave the warmth of my house) I read a few of those OG recipes for the WW bagels; self rising flour and greek yogurt, equal parts. I’d just made a fresh batch of coconut yogurt so I decided to make a 1/4th of a batch, because as you might know, grain free ingredients are $$MONEY. The cooking methods I read varied a lot, so I decided to go for the traditional bagel route, first boil, then bake…and guess what…IT WORKED!
Ingredients
1 cup neutral plain coconut yogurt
1 cup Otto’s Cassava Flour
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder (AIP recipe here)
1 1/2 tsp psyllium husk fiber (optional, but provides a good stretchiness*)
1 tsp yeast
1Tbsp baking soda, 3 qt water
AIP Reintros
See note* below on Psyllium husk fiber.
Everything but the bagel seasoning
Sesame seeds
Asiago cheese
The sky is the limit here. Use your imagination.
Equipment
Medium mixing bowl
Large Sauce Pan
Slotted Spatula or spoon
Parchment paper
Sheet tray
*optional cooling rack
Method
Preheat oven to 400f
Combine cassava flour, sea salt, baking powder, yeast and psyllium husk in a medium bowl.
Add coconut yogurt to dry mixture and stir until no dry bits remain. Don’t be tempted to add more liquid, it looks dry and ragged in the beginning, as you work it it will come together. It will form into a ball, promise.
Bring water with baking soda to a boil in sauce pan.
Shape dough in to a circle and divide into 4 pieces. Roll each into a ball, then flatten slightly. With a wet finger poke a hole through the center and spin the dough around like a wheel on a spoke. Wet your finger again if it is sticking. You want the surface to be pretty smooth to keep it from getting waterlogged. Repeat for remaining dough balls, setting aside on a plate.
Gently drop the bagels into the boiling water, add only as many as the surface has room for. They will float when they are done so give them room to do so. Boil the bagels for about 3.5-4 minutes. Most of the rise happens here, if you attempt to remove too early you may end up having the bagels fall apart on you as you try to extract them from the water. Have faith. You’re essentially making dumplings here, they need to be fully set before you fish them out of the bath.
Transfer boiled dough to parchment lined baking sheet.
Remove bagels from water with a slotted spatula (a slotted spoon works but may dig in to the surface) and transfer to parchment lined baking sheet
If you have a cooling rack that fits on your baking sheet place the parchment on top of the cooling rack. It will allow for better air circulation which will result in a drier chewier bottom.
If you’re coating with goodies coat both sides gently before putting on the baking sheet. The water coupled with the doughy surface will help seeds and seasonings adhere to the surface of the bagel.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until the outside of the bagels is nice and golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool. This is the hardest part. Cassava flour can leave you with a really gummy texture if its too hot when you go to eat it. They don’t have to be cold, but give them a good 10-15 minutes (at least) before you split one open. They are best fork-split as a knife can make the crumb dense.
Notes: I have only tried this with Otto’s Cassava Flour. Otto’s has proven time and time again to have the finest texture of cassava flour available. It may work with a different brand of cassava flour, but I have not tested them in this particular recipe and know that they can vary widely in texture, which ultimately changes how absorptive they are. What I’m saying is substitute at your own risk.
*Psyllium husk fiber is NOT AIP, not is it paleo. It is the mucilaginous outer covering of the seed of the psyllium plant. It is a fiber not digested by our bodies, hence why it has been used for decades as a stool bulking agent. Psyllium husk has made it's rounds in paleo/AIP debates and the paleo police say no. I absolutely do not care about that dogmatic BS. This recipe works without the miniscule amount of added fiber, no adjustments necessary, the end product is just not as chewy. If you've worried about pleasing the paleo gods, by all means, leave it out.
Both silicone sheet liner and parchment paper worked just fine, the residual water evaporated better from the parchment lined sheet, but its also important to make your hole big enough that it doesn’t shrink too much when the dough expands as this can trap water and leave you with a gummy middle.
Lastly, I think its worth saying again—let them cool for a few minutes. I know, bread can be exciting as hell, but you will be so glad you gave it a few minutes when you’re tucking in to a fluffy bagel instead of a dense biscuit, trust me on this one.
