Ketolicious Poppy and Sesame Seed Bagels

 

Most everyone loves bagels, but, being a native New Yorker, I found buying bagels in California was nearly always a grave disappointment. The lox here were often wonderful, but pairing them with the bland textureless bagels was something I couldn't bring myself to do more than a handful of times. Making regular bagels at home is an arduous task, so I never did until now and I have to say these crazy keto bagels are fantastic and soooo simple to make! They have the same crusty exterior with the dense chewy interior that my old H&H Bagels of yore had. However, unlike bagels made with wheat flour, you can’t eat more than one. The mozzarella-almond flour-egg based dough is too filling! The dough is essentially the same as the fathead pizza crust dough - just with a bit more baking soda and flour. These bagels are incredibly easy to create and bake... no boiling, just mix the ingredients together with a spatula, knead with hands anointed with plenty of olive oil, bake for 15-20 minutes on parchment & voila . Your home will be perfumed with mouth-watering yeasty aromas and your table graced with fresh hot bagels which store and reheat well, so you can make them ahead of time. Using a Silpat or parchment paper (see both with raw bagels below) is absolutely essential for this dough. It is exceedingly sticky and will adhere to anything else - even aluminum foil - when baked, so invest in one of the two. This recipe will make 4 bagels.

Ketolicious Poppy and Sesame Seed Bagels

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups almond flour
• 1-3/4 cups grated low-moisture mozzarella
• 1 egg, beaten - room temperature
• 2 oz. cream cheese
• olive oil as needed
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground psyllium husk
• 2 tsp active yeast, dissolved in just under 1/4 cup warm water for 10 minutes or until foamy and proofed
• 1 pinch of coconut sugar (to proof the yeast)
• sesame seeds, to taste
• poppy seeds, to taste
• egg wash (1 egg beaten with a tablespoon of water)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 430F and prepare a pizza stone, sheet pan or baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine the almond flour, baking powder, and ground psyllium husk and mix well.
3. Add mozzarella and cream cheese to a microwaveable bowl and microwave in 45 second increments until the cheese is completed melted and forms a ball of dough after you stir it with a spatula. Should go through about 2 cycles.
4. Add the proofed yeast, and work it in well with the spatula, then add the beaten egg to the bowl and vigorously mix it in with your spatula or use your hands, just make sure the egg is fully incorporated into your dough.
5. Grease your hands with plenty of olive oil. You will want to make four balls of dough. Roll them each into a ball and gently push a finger through the center to make a nickel sized hole. Place on parchment paper and repeat on the other three bagels. Make sure the bagels are two inches apart.
6. Place sesame and poppy seeds into a bowl.
7. Use egg wash to brush the bagels on both sides and encrust both sides with seeds by dipping into bowl of mixed seeds.
8. Bake for 15 minutes, or until a nice golden brown forms on top.
9. Let cool for 10-15 minutes and then slice, add your favorite toppings, and enjoy!