Pumpkin Shaped Bagels
Recipe by Emily
Ingredients:
5 cups bread flour
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp instant yeast
2 1/4 cups warm water
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 egg for egg wash
Orange, red, and yellow food coloring gel
Instructions:
In a small bowl, combine the warm water, granulated sugar, and instant yeast. Let sit for 5–10 minutes, or until the yeast is foamy.
In a large bowl, whisk together the bread flour and salt. Pour in the bloomed yeast mixture and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Knead by hand or with a stand mixer using a dough hook for 5 minutes, then add the food coloring. I started with orange, but it wasn’t bright enough, so I mixed in a little red and yellow until I reached a vibrant pumpkin orange. Continue kneading for another 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and shape each into a smooth ball. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
While the dough rests, soak your butcher’s twine in olive oil. This helps prevent it from sticking and makes it much easier to remove after baking.
Cut each piece of twine to about 20 inches long. Place a dough ball in the center of the twine. Wrap the twine around the dough, crossing it each time and flipping the dough as you go, until you’ve created 8 sections for a pumpkin shape. Tie the ends in a knot and repeat with the remaining dough balls.
Cover the shaped bagels and let them rest for another 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 400°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and stir in 2 tablespoons of brown sugar.
Boil each bagel for 1 minute per side, then transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the tops with egg wash and bake for 25–30 minutes, or until golden brown.
Let the bagels cool for about 10 minutes before carefully cutting away and removing the twine. Insert a cinnamon stick into the center of each bagel for the pumpkin stem, then serve with your favorite cream cheese. Enjoy! 🧡