<p style="text-align:justify;">There're a few things that I miss in Bulgaria--salsa and good Mexican food, bagels and cream cheese, and marshmallows in hot chocolate.  So, inspired once again by the food blog <a href="http://www.macheesmo.com/?s=Bagel+">Macheesmo</a> and my ex-roommate's post on making bagels at home.</p>


[caption id="attachment_2051" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="My Homemade Bagels"]<a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/dsc01464.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2051" title="My Homemade Bagels" src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/dsc01464.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="375" /></a>[/caption]
<p style="text-align:justify;">He made it seem easy.  It's not so hard. There's just a lot of waiting. That's what his blog said.  And it turns out, he's right. These are totally worth the effort of making at home. First because it's really and truly not that difficult and second because they are very tasty. In fact I am already thinking about what I am going to put in my next batch and I've hardly made a dent in eating my original batch.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">First you make the sponge.  This part is important. I guess this is because bagels need time to develop their texture and flavor.  These things can't be rushed. <!--more-->Or at least that's what I imagine Nick would tell me if I was actually baking these with them. For the record, I am not. I just have to try to muddle though his recipe by myself.</p>


[caption id="attachment_2049" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="The Bagel Sponge"]<a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/dsc01459.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2049" title="Bagel Sponge " src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/dsc01459.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="375" /></a>[/caption]
<p style="text-align:justify;">Then you wait. In my case you freak out, after two hours and gchat Nick, demanding to know if his recipe is correct on the blog because the sponge isn't bubbling yet and appears to be thicker than on his blog.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">He writes back and asks you this: what kind of flour are you using?</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">If you are me, you're forced to write back and say: Um, Bulgarian.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">I know full well that he wants to know if I am using cake flour, bread flour, whole-wheat flour or the like.  But I don't know.  So I tell him Bulgarian flour. The thing I can be sure of this: he laughs and laughs.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">So given his advice, I wait a little more.  Then I decide to take things into my own hands. I add a little sugar to make sure the yeast is really doing it's thing. It is. So, I keep up with his recipe.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Only I use golden raisins rather than purple raisins. They are classier than the regular ones. Nope, just kidding. I simply can't find purple raisins so I use what I can get my hands on. I knead the dough and make the bagels.  Then they rest in my fridge for probably 15 or 16 hours. You'll notice, I don't use parchment baking paper. <a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/dsc01460.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2054" title="Bagels before baking " src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/dsc01460.jpg" alt="Bagels before baking " width="500" height="375" /></a>That might have been a mistake.</p>
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<p style="text-align:justify;">After school on Monday, I boil the bagels for 1 minute on each side and then bake them. Back to the parchment baking paper.  It probably would have been useful to use seeing as my bagels kind of stuck to the pan but I don't have any. So I didn't use it. Note to self: oil pans more carefully in the future.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">So, the review: the bagels were good first night I ate them  but the second day--wow. They might be even better now. The outside is chewy, the middle is soft and the flavor is a little sweet. It makes me wonder if I tried to eat the bagels too soon after taking them out of the oven on the first night. Oh well.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">These bagels I made are pretty amazing.  I am going to enjoy every single one of them.  Maybe next time I'll make walnut-apricot bagels.</p>