Gluten Free Sourdough Bagels
The perfect balance of chewy, crunchy, and delicious.
"A bagel is a round bread with a hole in the middle, and yet it's one of the most delicious things on Earth."
- Anthony T. Hincks
When I was in high school, a bagel shop opened in my town. It was called Wildflour Bagel and it was sooooo good! Everything was made in house, fresh everyday. To go with their bagels, they made numerous kinds of flavored cream cheeses in house...and let me just say, I have never in my lifetime since, had a more delicious flavored cream cheese (of any kind). Not only could you buy bagels individually or by the dozen with their flavored cream cheeses, but they had a sandwich menu that was to die for. It was my favorite place to eat lunch with friends and my family frequented there as well. Obviously, this was before my celiac diagnosis, but I still often fondly think of this bakery.
Bagels are a hard baked good to get right when you can eat gluten, taking gluten out of the bagel equation, makes the bake even harder! I have worked on this recipe, on and off, for years. When I first started, they were like hockey pucks with a hole in the middle, but throughout the years, I have learned more and applied that knowledge to nailing this gluten free bagel recipe.
You will find these bagels are chewy with a crunchy crust (especially when toasted), with an excellent flavor. I have to fight for one when I make them and I’m the only celiac in my house! The flavor is customizable by what you choose to top them with. The fan favs in my house are cheese (I use Monterey Jack), everything bagel, sesame, and cinnamon sugar. They stay fresh in an airtight container or plastic bag for about 3 days. They are good to eat longer, but taste best toasted after that. These bagels also freeze well, if they last that long!
