GLUTEN FREE BAGELS & GF MULTI-GRAIN BAGELS easily made DAIRY FREE

Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

     I have made a lot of bagel recipes over the last year.  I started out trying other GF recipes.  They all tasted very good, but some were too hard, some too dry, some like bagel shaped bread.  I wanted a real chewy bagel that was firm yet soft.  Then I decided to convert a wheat recipe into a GF one myself.  I was so happy.  A real bagel.  The white bread bagel had a great chewy texture, but not enough flavor for my liking, so I swapped out some of the white flour for whole grains and a little teff.  This whole grain bagel tastes great but does not get to the same level of chewy as the white bread bagel.  No matter what, both recipes are better then any other recipe or store bought GF bagels I have had in the last 8 years. 

     Perfect with cream cheese and lox or anything else these bagels are delicious.

     I am posting the recipes as I have been baking them.  Feel free to experiment with flours and boiling and baking times to get your favorite bagel experience.  Enjoy!

GF MULTI-GRAIN BAGELS

Makes about 12 

14 oz.	Tapioca Flour
4 oz.	Chickpea Flour
4 oz.	Sweet Rice Flour
4 oz.	Teff Flour
4 oz.	Sorghum Flour
5 oz.	Corn Starch
1 Tbs.	Xanthan Gum
2 cups	Water or Milk or Non Dairy Milk - warmed to 110℉
2 ½ tsp.	Instant Yeast - divided
4 large	Eggs
2 ¾ tsp.	Sea Salt
3 Tbs.	Honey or Brown Sugar
1 Tbs.	Baking Soda (for boiling the bagels)
1-2 Tbs.	Cornmeal (for dusting the parchment paper)
1	egg white (for brushing on top of the raw bagels before baking) - optional (egg whites will give the bagel a nice shine)
2 Tbs.	Poppy or Sesame Seeds ( to top the bagels) - optional

GLUTEN FREE BAGELS

Makes about 12

26 oz.	Tapioca Flour
4.5 oz.	Chickpea Flour
4.5 oz.	Sweet Rice Flour
1 Tbs.	Xanthan Gum
2 cups	Water or Milk or Non Dairy Milk - warmed to 110℉
2 ½ tsp.	Instant Yeast - divided
4 large	Eggs
2 ¾ tsp.	Sea Salt
1 Tbs.	Honey or Brown Sugar
1 Tbs.	Baking Soda (for boiling the bagels)
1-2 Tbs.	Cornmeal (for dusting the parchment paper)
1	egg white (for brushing on top of the raw bagels before baking) - optional (egg whites will give the bagel a nice shine)
2 Tbs.	Poppy or Sesame Seeds ( to top the bagels) - optional

Directions

In a large bowl mix the flours and xanthan gum together well.  Set aside. (You will need a total of 35 ounces of GF flours.  If you cannot eat one of the flours in the recipe replace it with an equal weight of another flour.  I cannot guarantee that you will get the same results using different flours, but I’m sure you will get a bagel that tastes better than a store bought one.)

I use a scale to weigh out each flour.

All the flours with the xanthan gum well mixed with a whisk.

Make the sponge:  

1. Measure out 18 ounces of the flour mixture and place in a large bowl

   

   Weighing out 18 ounces of flour.

2. Add 1 1/4 tsp of yeast and mix well.
3. Add the warmed water or milk and stir together.  Allow this to sit at room temperature for 2 hours.  It should become foamy and increase in size.

   

   Adding water and yet to the flour.

   
   

   

   Mixing the sponge.

   
   

   

   The regular flour sponge after sitting for 2 hours.

Make the dough:

1. Add the rest of the yeast to the sponge and stir.

   

   Whole grain sponge with the rest of the yeast added.
   Note that the sponge rose to the top the bowl and then deflated when I moved it.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer add the sponge, the rest of the flour mixture, sea salt, eggs, and honey or brown sugar.

   

   The wet ingredients and the sponge.

   
   

   

   The remaining flour added to the rest of the ingredients.
3. Beat with the dough hook attachment until it is smooth and comes together into a ball (about 6 minutes).

   

   Starting to mix the dough with a dough hook.

4. The dough should be firm and pliable, but not sticky.  If you pinch some dough between your fingers it should feel like an ear lobe.  If too dry add some water, if too wet add some tapioca flour or corn starch, an ounce at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.

   

   Regular GF bagel dough after mixing a few minutes.
   Note that the dough is smooth and is starting to pull away from the sides of the bowl
   and form a ball of dough.

   
   

   

   GF Multi Grain Dough after several minutes of mixing.
   Note that the sides are starting to come away from the bowl and
   that the dough is a little moister than the regular bagel dough.
   It is moister but not tacky.  It does not stick to your hands.

   
   

   

   Multi grain dough.  I am pinching some to check for stickiness and
   to see if it feels sort of like an earlobe.  

Shape the bagels:

1. Prepare 2 baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper and lightly oiling them.
2. Using a scale weigh out 4.5 ounce portions of dough or you can divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. (My dough weighs out at least 13 bagels that are 4.5 ounces each every time I make this recipe.)

   

   Weighing out dough portions.

3. Form the pieces into balls by rolling them in your hands and then flatten them slightly.

   

   Rolling out the dough portions into flattened balls.

4. With a finger, poke a hole in the center of the ball of dough and use your fingers and thumbs to stretch it out into a bagel shape with an opening about 1 ½-2 inches in diameter.  Make the ring of dough as uniform as possible, without some sides too much thicker than others.

   

   Poking a hole in one portion of rolled dough.

   
   
   
   

   

   Stretching and shaping the ball of dough into a ring.

    
5. As the bagels are formed, place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

   

   Shaped bagels ready to rest for 20 minutes.

6. When all the bagels are shaped and on the baking sheets, cover them with plastic wrap and allow them to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.  If it is very cold and drafty in the room then let them rest in a warm place.
7. After 20 minutes test the bagels to see if they are ready to be put in the refrigerator to rise overnight.  Place a bagel into a bowl filled with room temperature water.  If it floats it is ready to go into the fridge.  If it does not float allow the bagels to rest 5 minutes longer and then test again.  Repeat until the bagels float.

   

   The bagel floats!  Now we can put the bagels in the fridge to rise overnight.

8. The bagels should rise in the fridge at least over night, but can be left in the fridge up to 2 days before baking.

   

   Bagels after rising overnight in the fridge.

Bake the bagels:

1. On baking day, place two oven racks in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 500℉. 
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and then add the baking soda.  Have a slotted spoon or some utensil ready to help turn and remove the bagels from the water.  I used an extra wide slotted spatula.

   

   Bring a pot of water to a boil and then add baking soda.

3. Prepare 2 pieces of parchment paper (that fit the baking sheets) by lightly oiling and sprinkling with some cornmeal.

   

   Oiled parchment paper sprinkled with corn meal.

4. Remove the bagels from the fridge and place 3 or 4 of them (or as many as will fit comfortably in the pot) in the boiling water.  The bagels should rise to the surface of the water within 10 seconds.  Boil for 1 minute and then turn them over and boil the second side for 1 minute.  For very chewy bagels you can boil them for 2 minutes on each side.  Place the boiled bagels on the same parchment paper that they rose on.  After they rest a minute transfer them to the freshly prepared paper that is oiled and sprinkled with cornmeal.  If you wish to reuse the same parchment paper, dry off the paper a bit and sprinkle with some cornmeal.

   

   Boiling the bagels, bottom side first.
   I don't think it matters which side you boil first.

   
   

   

   Boiling the second side, bottoms up.
5. When all the bagels are boiled and placed on the baking sheets you can brush them with egg white and sprinkle with some sesame or poppy seeds.  Place the baking pans of bagels on the 2 middle racks in the preheated oven.

   

   Boiled bagels ready to be brushed with egg whites.

6. Bake for 5 minutes, 7 minutes for the whole grain ones, then switch shelves and also rotate the pans 180°.  If the bagels are getting too brown on the top or bottom you can cover the top with foil to prevent excess browning and place the baking pan inside another baking pan to insulate the bottom from the heat and prevent the bottoms from getting too done.
7. Lower the oven to 450 degrees and bake another 5 minutes, or 7 minutes for the whole grain ones, the bagels should be golden brown.  You can bake them longer if you prefer.

   

   Multi Grain GF Bagels cooling on a rack.

8. Cool on the pans or a rack for at least 15 minutes before eating.
9. You can slice and freeze the bagels and use them later as you want some.  Just reheat or toast the frozen bagels for the most enjoyable eating experience.

GF MULTI-GRAIN BAGELS Makes about 12 glutenfreebakingbear.com 14 oz. Tapioca Flour 4 oz. Chickpea Flour 4 oz. Sweet Rice Flour 4 oz. Teff Flour 4 oz. Sorghum Flour 5 oz. Corn Starch 1 Tbs. Xanthan Gum 2 cups Water or Milk or Non Dairy Milk - warmed to 110℉ 2 ½ tsp. Instant Yeast - divided 4 large Eggs 2 ¾ tsp. Sea Salt 3 Tbs. Honey or Brown Sugar 1 Tbs. Baking Soda (for boiling the bagels) 1-2 Tbs. Cornmeal (for dusting the parchment paper) 1 egg white (for brushing on top of the raw bagels before baking) - optional (egg whites will give the bagel a nice shine) 2 Tbs. Poppy or Sesame Seeds ( to top the bagels) - optional GF BAGELS Makes about 12 26 oz. Tapioca Flour 4.5 oz. Chickpea Flour 4.5 oz. Sweet Rice Flour 1 Tbs. Xanthan Gum 2 cups Water or Milk or Non Dairy Milk - warmed to 110℉ 2 ½ tsp. Instant Yeast - divided 4 large Eggs 2 ¾ tsp. Sea Salt 1 Tbs. Honey or Brown Sugar 1 Tbs. Baking Soda (for boiling the bagels) 1-2 Tbs. Cornmeal (for dusting the parchment paper) 1 egg white (for brushing on top of the raw bagels before baking) - optional (egg whites will give the bagel a nice shine) 2 Tbs. Poppy or Sesame Seeds ( to top the bagels) - optional Directions In a large bowl mix the flours and xanthan gum together well. Set aside. (You will need a total of 35 ounces of GF flours. If you cannot eat one of the flours in the recipe replace it with an equal weight of another flour. I cannot guarantee that you will get the same results using different flours, but I’m sure you will get a bagel that tastes better than a store bought one.) Make the sponge: Measure out 18 ounces of the flour mixture and place in a large bowl Add 1 1/4 tsp of yeast and mix well. Add the warmed water or milk and stir together. Allow this to sit at room temperature for 2 hours. It should become foamy and increase in size. Make the dough: Add the rest of the yeast to the sponge and stir. In the bowl of a stand mixer add the sponge, the rest of the flour mixture, sea salt, eggs, and honey or brown sugar. Beat with the dough hook attachment until it is smooth and comes together into a ball (about 6 minutes). The dough should be firm and pliable, but not sticky. If you pinch some dough between your fingers it should feel like an ear lobe. If too dry add some water, if too wet add some tapioca flour or corn starch, an ounce at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. Shape the bagels: Prepare 2 baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper and lightly oiling them. Using a scale weigh out 4.5 ounce portions of dough or you can divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. (My dough weighs out at least 13 bagels that are 4.5 ounces each every time I make this recipe.) Form the pieces into balls by rolling them in your hands and then flatten them slightly. With a finger, poke a hole in the center of the ball of dough and use your fingers and thumbs to stretch it out into a bagel shape with an opening about 1 ½-2 inches in diameter. Make the ring of dough as uniform as possible, without some sides too much thicker than others. As the bagels are formed, place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. When all the bagels are shaped and on the baking sheets, cover them with plastic wrap and allow them to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes. If it is very cold and drafty in the room then let them rest in a warm place. After 20 minutes test the bagels to see if they are ready to be put in the refrigerator to rise overnight. Place a bagel into a bowl filled with room temperature water. If it floats it is ready to go into the fridge. If it does not float allow the bagels to rest 5 minutes longer and then test again. Repeat until the bagels float. The bagels should rise in the fridge at least over night, but can be left in the fridge up to 2 days before baking. Bake the bagels: On baking day, place two oven racks in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 500℉. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and then add the baking soda. Have a slotted spoon or some utensil ready to help turn and remove the bagels from the water. I used an extra wide slotted spatula. Prepare 2 pieces of parchment paper (that fit the baking sheets) by lightly oiling and sprinkling with some cornmeal. Remove the bagels from the fridge and place 3 or 4 of them (or as many as will fit comfortably in the pot) in the boiling water. The bagels should rise within 10 seconds. Boil for 1 minute and then turn them over and boil the second side for 1 minute. For very chewy bagels you can boil them for 2 minutes on each side. Place the boiled bagels on the same parchment paper that they rose on. After they rest a minute transfer them to the freshly prepared paper that is oiled and sprinkled with cornmeal. If you wish to reuse the same parchment paper, dry off the paper a bit and sprinkle with some cornmeal. When all the bagels are boiled and placed on the baking sheets you can brush them with egg white and sprinkle with some sesame or poppy seeds. Place the baking pans of bagels on the 2 middle racks in the preheated oven. Bake for 5 minutes, 7 minutes for the whole grain ones, then switch shelves and also rotate the pans 180°. If the bagels are getting too brown on the top or bottom you can cover the top with foil to prevent excess browning and place the baking pan inside another baking pan to insulate the bottom from the heat and prevent the bottoms from getting too done. Lower the oven to 450 degrees and bake another 5 minutes, or 7 minutes for the whole grain ones, the bagels should be golden brown. You can bake them longer if you prefer. Cool on the pans or a rack for at least 15 minutes before eating. You can slice and freeze the bagels and use them later as you want some. Just reheat or toast the frozen bagels for the most enjoyable eating experience.

GLUTEN FREE TOLL HOUSE COOKIES with VEGAN & DAIRY FREE instructions

Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

     At a friend’s request I converted the famous Nestles Toll House Cookie recipe into a gluten free version.  I can’t tell you how long it has been since I had one of these, but boy are they good.  I made some vegan cookies for my son and dairy free friends.  These came out really delicious also. 

     Easy to make, I just mixed the dough by hand.  It is much less effort if you have the ingredients at room temperature (hint hint), trying to cream cold butter or margarine will provide quite an arm muscle workout (which is fine if you are looking for this sort of exercise).

     My wheat eating tasters said that they could not tell the difference between the GF and wheat cookies.  Score!  

     You can achieve different textures according to the length of the baking time.  The recipe recommend a baking time of 9-11 minutes.  For softer cookies use the shorter recommended time, for crisper cookies bake them the longer time.  They are really scrumptious at any amount of baking time.

     The original recipe makes 60 cookies, so I cut the recipe in half.  Using a scoop that measures 1-inch across, half the recipe made about 30 cookies.  I am posting the half recipe.  For more cookies just double the recipe.

     For the vegan version I replaced the egg with 1/4 cup of water.  I find that with cookies other egg replacers are not necessary.  I also used 1/2 margarine and 1/2 shortening in place of the butter.  Using all margarine tends to change the texture due to the water content of the margarine.  Also, margarine tends to have a lot of salt, so omit the salt in the recipe if you use all margarine.  

GLUTEN FREE TOLL HOUSE COOKIES

Makes about 30 2-inch wide cookies.

Ingredients

1 cup	Sorghum Flour
1/4 cup	Tapioca Flour
1/4 cup	Chickpea Flour
1/2 tsp.	Xanthan Gum
3/4 tsp.	Baking Soda
1/2 tsp.	Himalayan Sea Salt (is using margarine reduce or omit salt)
1 stick/4 oz./½cup	Unsalted Butter For Vegan or Dairy Free use margarine and or non-hydrogenated shortening such as Spectrum
3/8 cup/6 Tbs.	Brown Sugar
3/8 cup/6 Tbs.	Sugar (I used evaporated cane juice crystals)
1 tsp.	Vanilla Extract For Vegan or Dairy Free, if you have some on hand, use butter flavor vanilla (Lorann makes some, be sure to read the labels some of their butter vanilla contains hydrogenated oil and some do not, go figure.)
1 large	Egg For Vegan use 1/4 cup of water or an egg replacer of choice.
1 cup	Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips For Vegan or Dairy Free be sure the chips are dairy free.
1/2 cup	Walnuts - chopped (optional) You can use pecans or almonds if you prefer.

Directions

1. Arrange the baking racks so that they are in the center of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 375℉.  Prepare baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or silpat pads.
2. Add the flours, xanthan gum, salt and baking soda to a small bowl and mix together well with a whisk.  Set aside.
3. In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter (or margarine and/or shortening) and sugars until well blended and fluffy.

   

   Vegan/Dairy Free margarine & shortening.

   
   
   
   

   

   Butter and sugar. 

   

   Vegan sugar and fat after creaming together.

   
   

   

   Butter and sugar creamed together.

4. Add the vanilla and egg or egg replacer of choice and mix in to the sugar mixture.

   

   Vegan/DF sugar mixture with water & vanilla added.
   Note that the mixture will not be homogenous
    until later when the flour is added.

   
   

   

   Butter and sugar with egg and vanilla.

   
   

   

   Butter and sugar after egg and vanilla are mixed in.
   The mixture will not be smooth and completely blended
   until after the flour is mixed in.

5. Add the flour mixture, all at once, and stir in until well incorporated.

   

   Vegan dough.

   
   

   

   Butter & egg dough.

6. Add the chocolate chips and nuts and mix in by hand.

   

   Dough with chips and nuts.

    
7. Measure out the dough by the rounded tablespoon, or with a 1-inch scoop, and place on the prepared baking sheets.  The dough will spread while baking so leave 2-inches of space between the dough portions.

   

   Raw dough 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheet. 
8. Bake for 9-11 minutes until golden brown.  For softer cookies bake the shorter time, for crisper cookies bake them the longer time. Turn the baking sheets 180° and, if using more than one pan, rotate the pans from top to bottom shelves and vice versa so that the cookies bake more evenly.

   

   Baked cookies.

9. Cool the cookies in the pan for 2 minutes before moving them to a rack to cool completely.

   

   GF Toll House Cookies made with butter cooling on a rack.
   Some are made without chips.

10. Store the cookies in a tins or airtight containers.  They are best eaten in the first 2 days, but will keep at room temperature for several days.  Wrap and freeze the baked cookies for longer storage.  You can also freeze raw dough portions until ready to bake them at a later time.  Portion out the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, freeze the dough on the baking sheet.  Once frozen store the dough balls in a plastic bag.  Allow a few extra minutes for the frozen dough to bake.

    

    GF Toll House Cookies made with butter and eggs.

    
    

    

    GF Vegan Toll House Cookies.

   

GLUTEN FREE TOLL HOUSE COOKIES Makes about 30 2-inch wide cookies. Ingredients 1 cup Sorghum Flour 1/4 cup Tapioca Flour 1/4 cup Chickpea Flour 1/2 tsp. Xanthan Gum 3/4 tsp. Baking Soda 1/2 tsp. Himalayan Sea Salt (is using margarine reduce or omit salt) 1 stick/4 oz./½cup Unsalted Butter For Vegan or Dairy Free use margarine and or non-hydrogenated shortening such as Spectrum 3/8 cup/6 Tbs. Brown Sugar 3/8 cup/6 Tbs. Sugar (I used evaporated cane juice crystals) 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract For Vegan or Dairy Free, if you have some on hand, use butter flavor vanilla (Lorann makes some, be sure to read the labels some of their butter vanilla contains hydrogenated oil and some do not, go figure.) 1 large Egg For Vegan use 1/4 cup of water or an egg replacer of choice. 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips For Vegan or Dairy Free be sure the chips are dairy free. 1/2 cup Walnuts - chopped (optional) You can use pecans or almonds if you prefer. Directions Arrange the baking racks so that they are in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375℉. Prepare baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or silpat pads. Add the flours, xanthan gum, salt and baking soda to a small bowl and mix together well with a whisk. Set aside. In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter (or margarine and/or shortening) and sugars until well blended and fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg or egg replacer of choice and mix in to the sugar mixture. Add the flour mixture, all at once, and stir in until well incorporated. Add the chocolate chips and nuts and mix in by hand. Measure out the dough by the rounded tablespoon, or with a 1-inch scoop, and place on the prepared baking sheets. The dough will spread while baking so leave 2-inches of space between the dough portions. Bake for 9-11 minutes until golden brown. For softer cookies bake the shorter time, for crisper cookies bake them the longer time. Turn the baking sheets 180° and, if using more than one pan, rotate the pans from top to bottom shelves and vice versa so that the cookies bake more evenly. Cool the cookies in the pan for 2 minutes before moving them to a rack to cool completely. Store the cookies in a tins or airtight containers. They are best eaten in the first 2 days, but will keep at room temperature for several days. Wrap and freeze the baked cookies for longer storage. You can also freeze raw dough portions until ready to bake them at a later time. Portion out the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, freeze the dough on the baking sheet. Once frozen store the dough balls in a plastic bag. Allow a few extra minutes for the frozen dough to bake.