These bagels were inspired by a meeting I had in the Provost’s office on campus a few weeks ago. As a treat, the Provost brought an assortment of bagels from the local bakery. While the bagels were fairly ho-hum, there was one flavor that struck my fancy and ignited my baking senses…an herb and sun dried tomato bagel. Not only had I never seen such a bagel flavor but the mix of tomatoes and herbs was an awesome change from the normal sweet breakfast bagels we normally make! Thus, my Tuscan Herb and Sun Dried Tomato Bagels were born.

Like my other bagel recipes, this recipe is pretty straight forward and can be made a day ahead of time which makes it go together without taking tons of rise or prep time. The trick to making this bagel unique is the 4 tablespoons of dried herbs. There really isn’t any secret or set recipe on this mixture so just go with whatever herbs you like. I prefer to use a mixture of oregano, thyme, basil, parsley and garlic powder. For an added kick, try shredding a little Parmesan cheese on top of these bagels in the last few moments of baking.

If you like this recipe, be sure to check out the rest of my bagel collection: 100% Whole Wheat Bagels, Cranberry Bagels and Just Plain Ol’ Bagels.

Tuscan Herb and Sun Dried Tomato Bagels

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Days to Make: 2

Active Prep Time: 40 minutes

Rise Time: Overnight (about 18 hours)

Bake Time: 30 minutes minutes

Yield: 12 bagels

Recipe inspired by:
Bagels served at a meeting with the campus Provost.

Ingredients:

Bagel Starter
1 teaspoon (.11 ounces) instant yeast
4 cups (18 ounces) high-gluten or bread flour
2-1/2 cups (20 ounces) water, room temperature

Final Dough
4 tablespoons mixed dried herbs
1 teaspoon (.11 ounce) instant yeast
3-3/4 cups (17 ounces) high-gluten or bread flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2-3/4 teaspoons (.7 ounce) salt
2 teaspoons (.33 ounce) malt powder OR 1 tablespoon (.5 ounce) dark or light malt syrup, honey or brown sugar
3/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped

Combine the herb blend. In a small bowl, whisk together about 4 tablespoons of your favorite dried herbs (I prefer using 2 tablespoons oregano, 1/2 tablespoon thyme, 1/2 tablespoon basil, 1/2 tablespoon parsley and 1 teaspoon garlic powder).

Preparing the sponge (starter). In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yeast and flour. Add the water, whisking only until the mixture forms a smooth, sticky batter (similar to pancake batter). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise on the counter until the mixture becomes very foamy and bubbly, about 2 hours.

Making the final dough. Add the 1/2-teaspoon yeast to the same bowl as the starter. Mix until combined. Add 3 cups of the flour, salt, granulated sugar, herb mixture and malt/brown sugar. Stir until the ingredients form a rough dough, slowly working in the remaining 3/4 cup flour to make a stiff dough.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter and knead for about 10 minutes. In the last few minutes of kneading, gently press the dough into a flat rectangle. Spread chopped tomatoes on the dough and continue kneading until smooth. The dough will be firm and stiff but still pliable. The dough should be able to be stretched into a windowpane when finished kneading.

Divide the dough into 12 4-1/2 ounce pieces. A 4-1/2 ounce piece of dough is about the size of a small baseball. Shape each piece of dough into a ball by rolling it between the counter and palm of your hand. Cover the balls with a damp towel and allow them to rest for 20 minutes.

Shaping the Bagels. Line 2 baking pans with parchment paper and spray the paper with nonstick cooking spray. To shape the bagels, working with one at a time pinch your thumb and forefinger through the middle of each ball of dough. Then, gently stretch the dough ring until the hole is about 2-inches wide. Place each shaped bagel 2-inches apart on the prepared sheet pans. Let the pans sit for 20 minutes. Gently cover the tray with plastic and place it in the refrigerator overnight.

Baking the bagels. The next morning, preheat the oven to 500° F. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil; the wider the pot the easier it will be to boil the bagels. Add 1 tablespoon baking soda to the water. Remove bagels from the refrigerator and gently drop them into the water. Be sure to not crowd the pan and only boil as many at a time as will comfortable fit.

Boil bagels for 1 minute on each side then return to the pan with at least 2-inches space between them. After all the bagels are boiled, place bagels in the oven. Bake for approximately 5 minutes, then rotate pans; switching shelves and giving the pans a 180-degree rotation. After the rotation, lower oven to 450° F and continue baking for another 5 minutes, or until the bagels are golden brown.

Remove pans from the oven and let the bagels cool on a rack for 15 minutes before serving.

Related posts from around the web.

NY Style Sun-Dried Tomato Bagels, Gluten Free (Jenn Cuisine)

Spicy Sun dried tomato cream cheese (Mango & Tomato)

Herb & Gruyere Biscuits (Happy When Not Hungry)