509 Bagels

Another little cooking adventure not to miss in Canada is self made bagels. Make sure you collect all kinds of toppings, any kind of nuts will do. There are 'everything' toppings in any big grocery store, sesame is awesome, and a little tip of mine, garlic powder.

What you need:

• 4 cups of flour (whatever kind you prefer)
• A spoonful of sugar makes the bagels go down
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons of dry yeast (in McGill I use Fleischmann's - pretty good stuff)
• Warm water (warm to the touch)

1. Add yeast to a little warm water in a cup cup. Get out your largest bowl. Add flour and salt and sugar.

2. Make a little moon crater in the middle of the flour, size of your fist.

3. Pour in some vegetable oil, warm water and everything else liquid in the crater and start slowly mixing the flour into it.

4. Add the yeasty water, keep mixing with that large wooden spoon of yours - scrape the sides to get all the flour mixed into it.

5. I've heard somewhere that a good dough is a dough that sticks to the bottom of the bowl but not to the sides.

6. Knead. Most important step. Sprinkle some flour on a kitchen surface or cutting board and flatten dough. Fold. Flatten. Fold. Flatten. You get the idea.

7. Split the dough into fist sized (why is everything fist sized in this recipe?) balls of dough.

8. Let rise in a warm place. Warmth is good and essential. Cover with kitchen cloth. 30 minutes.

9. Meanwhile, boil some water in a big wide pot or wok works well, too. Water should be couple of inches deep.

10. Dough should have risen by now, hopefully. Roll them out and then use that special bagel shaping hand technique. Check it out on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYEXQU1r5tY

11. And then place them gently in the boiling water. Boil a minute on each side.

12. Finally, dip them in a flat dish with seeds and nuts and whatnot.

I recommend sprinkling garlic powder over the top. Cinnamon is great. Kneading raisins into the dough works like a charm too.

13. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes on each side until gold brown.