Homemade bagels with coriander-lime hummus, avocado & salmon. Based on Peter Reinhart’s chewy, fragrant sesame bagels and whatever toppings you like! Jump to Recipe
I finished Lisa Genova’s Still Alice on the weekend. I haven’t read many books that are much more devastating, or more thought-provoking. Alzheimers is a disease that isn’t talked about much – or if it is, it is in the context of elderly people in nursing homes, or the grandparent you might visit every couple of weeks and regularly calls you by someone else’s name. Not in the context of a 50 year old Harvard linguistics professor diagnosed with an early-onset form, and hardly ever from the perspective of the sufferer, the person on the inside looking out.
It is impossible to imagine losing your memories and cognitive capacity. It reminds us how fragile our minds are – just a interconnected web of neurons that can malfunction just like the rest of our bodies. In the early stages of her disease, Alice is very aware of things she is forgetting – she notices items on her to-do list that she doesn’t recognize, and panics when she becomes completely disorientated while out for a run in her own neighbourhood. Unable to grasp what is missing, it is as if she is straining against some invisible blockade – in this case, spaces where neurons have atrophied and left gummed up amyloid plaques in their wake.
From the first time Alice spoke openly of her diagnosis, friends and colleagues avoid her – both not knowing what to say and not wanting to face the reality of Alzheimers. Probably terrified it would be them next. We all are, I think. Even the word “dementia” is frightening – as if your mind is taken over, mutated. It is easier not to think about altogether. Genova writes – “And while a bald head and a looped ribbon were seen as badges of courage and hope, her reluctant vocabulary and vanishing memories advertised mental instability and impending insanity. Those with cancer could expect to be supported by their community. Alice expected to be an outcast”. In cancer, the DNA within cells mutates, causing uncontrolled growth. In Alzheimers, neuronal cells get tangled in protein and wither, degenerating the brain.
By the end, she is aware in the moment of holding the baby in blue, and watching the mother talk to someone on the other side of the room. Sections and phrases of conversations are caught and then disappear seconds later. There is no connection that the mother is her daughter, the baby her grandson – only faceless people, indistinguishable. At this point Alice is no longer unhappy – she is no longer cognizant of all she is missing out on. Her family are, however – and that, in the end, is who Alzheimers is hardest on.
From a medical ethics perspective, this stage of dementia is challenging. Patients may have made an end-of-life care plan while still capable of decisions stating that they are not to be given treatment – antibiotics for pneumonia, for example. Before their Alzheimers, this was their choice, believing that their quality of life would be so limited they would rather not be here. As Alice suggests – “at some point, there would simply be no point”.
However, in the later stages of their disease they may be quite content day to day, even though they might not recognise their children or remember what they did the day or the hour before. Even if they had previously asked for no treatment, can our interests and therefore choices change over time? In that situation, whose decision should prevail – the you before you got dementia, or the you now, who no longer remembers? In extreme cases, some experts argue that we might question whether this later individual is mentally still the same person – in which case the directive should no longer apply.
Anyway – it is very much worth a read (or a watch, if movies are more your thing).
And back to why we are here. These bagels. Homemade bagels with coriander-lime hummus, avocado & salmon, to be precise. Based on Peter Reinhart’s recipe, they are chewy and fragrant, with a depth of comforting yeasted flavour that just isn’t there in the spongy, soft supermarket versions. The coriander-lime hummus was constructed in an attempt to change up my regular plain garlic-lemon version, and is a fun alternative. It works better with salmon and avocado too, with the sharp herby flavour and zesty lime cutting through the richness.
The work required for homemade bagels is generally significantly overestimated. To me, the cost-benefit relationship swings heavily towards the do-it-yourself kind: for about $5 and a couple of hours, you end up with 16 bagels better than any store-bought variation. They freeze well too, so are ideal for pulling out for a breakfast or lunch on the go.
Like with these pear & chocolate hot cross buns, the satisfaction of bread making is a big part of it – I mean, how many of your friends will tell you that they made their own bagels? If sweet bagels are more your thing, try this recipe variation for cinnamon raisin bagels with berry mascarpone & pistachios.
P.S. if you need a recipe for Easter next week, try these easy, fluffy Pear and Chocolate Hot Cross Buns!
Baker’s Timeline:
- Evening before
- Make the sponge (15 minutes)
- Rest 2 hours
- Make the dough, divide into pieces, rest 20 minutes, shape into bagels, rest 20 minutes. Check with float test then refrigerate overnight. (1 hour)
- Following morning
- Boil the bagels and bake for 10 minutes in oven (1 hour)
- Make the hummus! (10 minutes)
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- 4 cups high grade flour (bread flour)
- 2½ cups water , room temperature
- 3/4 teaspoon instant yeast
- 3¾ cups high grade flour
- 2¾ teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon honey , brown sugar, or malt syrup
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Sesame seeds , poppy seeds etc to garnish (optional)
- 400 g tin of chickpeas
- 1 cup coriander (or more to taste)
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic , minced
- juice of 1 lime
- salt to taste
- iced water to thin to desired consistency (about 1/4 cup)
- Smoked salmon
- Avocado
- Salt & pepper
- Microgreens
- Whatever else you feel like!
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First day: To make the sponge, whisk together the flour, instant yeast and water in a large bowl until smooth and gloopy, similar to a thick pancake batter. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 2 hours, or until it becomes foamy and bubbly. It should rise to double its size and collapse when the bowl is tapped on the bench.
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For the next steps you can either use dough hook on a stand mixer or do it by hand.
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To make the dough, stir the additional yeast into the sponge mixture. Add 3 cups of the high-grade flour, salt and honey/brown sugar. Stir (or mix on low speed with dough hook) until it forms a ball. Slowly work in the remaining ¾ cup of flour to stiffen the dough.
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Transfer the dough to a counter and knead for at least 10 minutes by hand, or 6 minutes using a dough hook. By this point it should be firm and stiff but still smooth and stretchy. All ingredients should be fully incorporated. If it seems too dry and rips, add a few drops of water and continue kneading. If it seams tacky or sticky, add a little more flour until it is smooth and satiny, but no longer sticky. If you have a candy thermomenter, it should read . register approximately 25-27°C (77-81 F)
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Divide the dough into 16 even pieces (around 95 grams each) and form into balls. Cover with a damp tea towel and allow to rest for 20 minutes.
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Line 2 baking trays or tins that will fit in your fridge with baking paper and mist with cooking spray. To shape the bagels, roll into a long ‘sausage’ shape (~20cm long) and wrap around your fingers to form a circle, sealing the ends firmly. Try to make the bagels as evenly round as possible. The other way of shaping them is just to poke a hole in the middle with your thumb, widening it to approximately 5cm across.
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Place the bagels 3-4 cm apart on the baking trays. Mist lightly with cooking spray and cover loosely with plastic war (or slip inside a plastic bag). Leave the bagels at room temperature for 20 minutes.
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To check whether the bagels are ready to be retarded in the fridge, use the float test - fill a small bowl with cool-room temperature water. Place a bagel in the water- if it floats within 10 seconds of being dropped into the water, they are ready to go into the fridge. Pat the bagel dry, cover the pan, and place all the bagels in the fridge overnight or for up to 2 days. If it doesn’t float, return it to the pan and leave at room temperature, checking every 10-20 minutes until it floats within 10 seconds.
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Second day: The following day (or when you are ready to bake the bagels), preheat the oven to 260°C. Bring a large pot of water to the boil (preferably with a wide diameter), and add the baking soda and honey to the water.
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Remove the bagels from the refrigerator. Gently drop as many bagels as comfortably fit in a single layer into the water (I could fit 4 in my pot at a time). They should float within 10 seconds. After 1 minute 30 seconds, flip them over and boil for another 1 min 30 sec. If you like very chewy bagels, boil for 2 min each side, while if you don’t like them chewy, boil for 1 min each side. I found that 1 minute 30 was my favourite! They will increase in size during the boiling process.
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As you boil the bagels, place them back on the baking trays. When they have all been boiled, place the baking trays in the oven. Bake for 5 minutes, then rotate 180° (so they cook more evenly). Reduce the oven temperature to 230°C and continue baking for 5 minutes, or until the bagels are a light golden brown.
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Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack for 10-15 minutes. Serve fresh or toasted with the coriander-lime hummus (see instructions below), avocado and smoked salmon.
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The bagels keep in an airtight plastic bag for a few days, and also freeze very well in an airtight bag - just pull out early to defrost (or microwave briefly), cut in half and toast.
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Pour the contents of the chickpea can (fluid included), into a micro-wave safe bowl. Microwave for 1-2 minutes. Drain. At this point, if you want to make your hummus SUPER smooth, peel most of the skins off the chickpeas between your fingers. (this is totally optional - hummus is still amazing leaving them on, and much faster!)
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In a food processor, blitz the coriander, tahini, garlic, lime juice and olive oil. Add the chickpeas and process until a thick, smooth paste forms - this may take a few minutes. Add the iced water, a tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency. Remember that if the hummus is going to be left to sit for a while, it will start to thicken - so err towards the slightly thinner side. Taste and season with salt and more lime or coriander if needed.
We read Still Alice for our book club and it was hauntingly well written and so raw. I found it incredibly difficult to read and when we had book club, everyone admitted that they had been touched by Alzheimer’s in some way or another and it was difficult to see.
On the plus side, these bagels look amazing! They’d give Best Ugly a run for their money!
Aw thank you! Best Ugly were my usual go-to stash in the freezer, but since I’ve discovered these I tend to make my own more (but not all the time…!). I need to join a book club I think, they sound like a lot of fun.
That sounds like a thoroughly interesting read! I just put it on my Goodreads to-read list. In a bit of reading funk at the moment so I’m reading a series of dodgy Altanta murder mysteries 😛 your photos and recipes just keep getting better and better! I need to eat breakfast soon and I would give a lot to have this in front of me!!
Definitely give it a try! Me too – I stood at the airport book shop while waiting for my flight the other day and noted down a few books to get hold of. Thanks so much Hannah!! x
I can’t imagine the struggles associated with Alzheimers… My grandmother-in-law had a mild form, and she passed before it got really awful. What a tough book to read. My book list is always a mile long.. THese bagels look just perfect Claudia! Paired with your coriander lime hummus… oh my. I know I’d devour way too many of these! #troublewithcarbcontrol. Beautiful work my dear!
I know – I think it is impossible to imagine until you are there, but Still Alice gives a glimpse.
Thanks so much Traci – very much with you on the carbs…I just love them too much!! x
That sounds like a really tough read but one with a much needed perspective. I’ll have to wait until I’m in a certain mood to read that one. The hummus variation sounds amazing and fresh, especially paired with smoked salmon and thank you for such detailed instructions on how to make the bagels! I’m haven’t attempted homemade bagels yet and need all the help I can get.
I think it definitely takes a certain mood to read – some days I just need a super light, easy book, one that doesn’t require much thought and emotion! Thanks so much Megan – would recommend homemade bagels for sure, and I’m sure you would do an amazing job!
These bagels look amazing Claudia! I will not be surprised when you are nominated for best blog in the very near future. I am always pinning your delicious recipes and photos.
I loved reading and watching “Still Alice”. It was an eye opener and incredibly devastating to read and watch. But I will say that it is well worth the read, it took me three tries but I was glad I finished it in the end. xx
Thank you so much Lynette, that is a huge compliment!
And glad you liked Still Alice as much as I did – such a tough read though, I agree. I just kept imagining being in that position myself, or with a family member – so awful. Any other good book recommendations? I need a new one! x
I generally keep quiet about these topics, but I’ve seen many different diseases lurking in my family history, ranging from diabetes to schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s as well. I see it in some of my family members and it frightens me to the core. That’s why I try to value every minute and every second I have with them because I’ll never know when disaster will strike.
Also, the presentation of these bagels is absolutely exquisite. I love the way the avocado and the salmon just go with the bagel!
I guess that is what it is all about, isn’t it – living day to day, because none of us EVER know what is coming around the corner. Thanks Cassie x
These bagels look wonderful Claudia! I’ve always wanted to make my own homemade! Need to give these a go!
Thanks Mary Ann! Definitely give bagels a chance x
I’m obsessed with homemade bagels! And can only imagine how good these must taste slathered with hummus.
YAY someone else who is a bagel lover! Hummus is so perfect, but plain avo+ salmon (and goats cheese, if I feel like a splurge..) is my next favourite.
I watched Still Alice when it came out two years back. Julianne Moore’s performance was amazing. I have no experience with Alzheimer or dementia yet (thankfully), but that movie really hit me. It is such a sad thing for the person who’s hit and very challenging and scary for the family. I hope soon enough, there will be a cure for it. 🙂
I’ve yet made my own bagels. I think it’s time. This looks too good to pass up.
She was incredible in it, wasn’t she? One of the rare movies that I was absolutely engrossed in,almost like we were living it too. Thanks AiPing!
Most definitely adding “Still Alice” to my list of Must Reads! I won’t lie, I scrolled down past your explanation of the book because I didn’t want to spoil it! 😉 Anyways, Bagels are my kryptonite and yours look crazy delish! LOVING the coriander lime hummus, avocado and salmon on here. Bagel sandwich heaven up in here! I could seriously eat 7 of these beauties! Pinned! Cheers, girlie!
Haha fair enough! Would love to know what you think if you give it a go though. Definitely tough, but I loved the perspective it gave. Thanks so much Cheyenne – bagel sandwiches are my fave too. x
Agh, I watched a family friend go through the late stages of dementia and it is devastating. I can’t imagine the early onset, probably why I have avoided the book! BUT these bagels might cheer me up after reading it. I have never attempted to make bagels at home, but you really make me want to try!
Oh that must have been so hard Meghan, I don’t blame you at all for having avoided the book! So much more challenging a read than for those of us who haven’t really experienced it.
Thanks so much – definitely give bagels a go! x
These bagels are absolutely stunning Claudia – the photos are incredible!!! I wish I could grab one of the bagels out from my screen right now! Yum!!!
Thanks Harriet! xx
I’m SO in love with this post. I literally have a bagel every single day for breakfast – I’m totally addicted! I’ve never tried to make my own though…. that could be dangerous for me 😉
Ohhh if you have them for breakfast every day, you so HAVE to try making your own!! So worth it, I promise. Thanks so much Kathleen! x
I’d really want to read Still Alice but haven’t gotten around to it – I want to read it before I see the movie! I had an Aunt who contracted Alzheimers at a very young age and it was so hard on my Uncle.
I have to admit, I made bagels once and failed miserably. They turned out too flat to cut in half. You give me hope, Claudia!
Thanks Courtney – I loved the book and the movie (julianne moore’s performance was incredible) so do both for sure! Give bagels another chance too – once they turn out right you won’t be able to go back! x
claudia, this is so spot on for my taste buds – hands down, all elements. beautiful bagels, beautiful hummus, lovely salmon. xo
Thanks Danielle x
Wow, these sound so amazing! I’ve never tackled homemade bagels but it’s been on my baking bucket list for years now!
Thanks Elizabeth! Definitely try to tick it off, so worth it. I have so many things still on my own baking bucket list too… croissants are well up there, along with proper sourdough. One day! x
Claudia, it looks like you are on a serious baking roll! First those amazing hot cross buns, and now these bagels (with the most delectable of fillings, no less!). Your photography is absolutely stunning Claudia. I’m also really keen to read ‘Still Alice’ now. It sounds like a very interesting and engrossing read, and I really enjoyed your discussion of it. Wishing you a great Easter long weekend!
Oh thanks so much Lisa! So lovely to hear. Definitely add Still Alice to your reading list too. Hope you had a amazing Easter as well!
Your bagels look perfect, Claudia. I am totally with you – homemade bagels far outweigh store-bought ones. Also, very tasty hummus idea and pairings with the bagel – YUM!
Thanks Beeta! Glad you are another bagel fan x
These look delicious! I made your sweet bagels and was surprised that they worked, I had always imagined that bagels were one of those things that would be just too tricky to make at home, the hummus sounds delicious too!
Claudia you are going to make a wonderful doctor, I love your discussion about ” Still Alice” , lucky patients of the future to have your humanity and caring nature ( and lucky family and friends to have you cooking for them). You are one talented young woman.
Thank you so much Gabrielle! That is so lovely to hear. So glad the bagels worked out for you -they aren’t as impossible as they seem! Definitely have a go at hummus – Mum & Dad are all into their hummus making too and love it – so much better than the store-bought version and really very cheap and easy. 🙂