Yeast and me are like oil and water. I tried the kind you stick in the refrigerator to keep cool, I’ve tried the instant kind, and I’ve tried letting rise for hours versus minutes. Yet, my bread dough always seemed to rise, oh, about 1/2″. I’m not sure if it had to do with baking at a 6,000ft. altitude or my complete lack of baking ability or probably yeast having it out for me. Well, that is until TODAY!

©EverydayCookingAdventures 2014

My friend Candice, who is a scientist so therefore very skilled in working with yeast I just assume, made just these bagels a week ago and when I saw the photo I knew I would have to fight my yeast demons and attempt them. I love that these can be made in advance and frozen so you could make them before company is coming and still have homemade bagels to serve them at breakfast or brunch. According to Leo Rosten’s The Joys of Yiddish, there are references to bagels as far back as Poland in 1610. I started out this morning ready to carry on a 400 year tradition of bagel-making.

©EverydayCookingAdventures 2014

Step 1 went great, I boiled the potato and the proceeded to dump the water out until the last drip left the pot and I remembered, oh yeah you’re supposed to reserve the cooking water. So I got a new potato and tried again. It was a little intimidating when I hadn’t even reached the yeast steps and I was already needing to restart! But on I went. The yeast mixed in nicely with the flour in my +KitchenAid  stand mixer. Potato mixture added, no problem. I used some flour on my hands to unfurl the dough from the mixer bowl and onto my lightly floured granite countertop and voila! DOUGH! I couldn’t have been more proud.

©EverydayCookingAdventures 2014

The rest went smoothly thanks to tips from Candice on making sure your damp towel is also damp–don’t let it dry out she warned! I made the hole in the bagels just 1″ wide versus the 2″ that Ted Allen had suggested. And also thanks to her I made sure I rolled the dough into VERY tight balls so they wouldn’t fall apart. Follow her suggestions and these bagels practically make themselves, practically.

My bagels came out soft inside with a real earthy taste from the potatoes and the unmistakable crunch of the outside of a bagel. I felt like I had stepped into my own Jewish deli or bakery and while it took a long time, I am very proud of my lovely bagels. They may not have come out all one size but they taste good and that’s really what matters!

Ted Allen Potato Bagels with Butter-Glazed Onions ©EverydayCookingAdventures 2014

Potato Bagels with Butter-Glazed Onions

Recipe by: Ted Allen, “Food Network Magazine”

Prep: 1 hr 30 min
Cook: 45 min
Yield: 12 bagels

Ingredients

• 1 medium Yukon gold potato (about 5 ounces), scrubbed
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the bowl
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
• Kosher salt
• 1 1/4 -ounce packet active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 large sweet onion, diced
• 1 large egg

Directions
1. Bring 2 1/2 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Add the potato and cook until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the potato, reserving the cooking water. When cool enough to handle, peel the potato and mash in a medium bowl until smooth, adding a few drops of the cooking water, if needed.

2. Stir the olive oil and honey into the mashed potato.

3. Mix the flour, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt and the yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Then, add the potato mixture and 1 cup reserved cooking water to the mixer; beat on medium speed until stiff but malleable, 10 minutes. Beat in a few more tablespoons cooking water, if necessary. (Reserve the remaining cooking water.)

4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead by hand until the dough is smooth and bounces back when pressed, about 5 minutes. Let it rest. Drizzle a little olive oil into a large bowl. Add the dough and turn to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with a damp dishcloth and set aside in a warm spot until the dough is doubled in size, 2 hours.

5. While the dough rises, melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat; add the onion and cook until transparent and soft but not browned, 20 to 30 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and set aside.

6. Punch down the dough. Form into a log, then cut into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a tight ball and set on a parchment-lined baking sheet; cover with a damp cloth and let rise 30 minutes. Make a hole in the center of each ball with your thumbs. Stretch and turn the ring until the hole is about 1″ wide. Return to the baking sheet, cover with a damp cloth and let rise 20 more minutes. Preheat the oven to 450ºF.

7. Bring the remaining reserved potato cooking water to a boil. Carefully drop the bagels into the water, a few at a time, and cook 30 seconds. Flip the bagels with a slotted spoon and cook 30 more seconds. Set the bagels on a rack to drain, then return to the parchment-lined baking sheet.

8. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven; bake until the bagels start to brown, about 10 minutes. Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon water; brush the mixture on the bagels and top with the sauteed onion. Continue baking until golden, 10 to 15 more minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

TIME-SAVING MAKE AHEAD TIP: These bagels can freeze for up to a month. Simply slice them in half first and pop in a resealable container or bag so you can toast them straight from the freezer.