Multi-Grain Bagels: Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free

Some people plan what they're wearing the next day. Not me. It's all about what I'm having for breakfast.

A few weeks ago, I very successfully made bagels from a Breads From Anna bread mix using chia seeds in place of eggs.

Today, I wanted to make bagels from scratch. And I wanted them to be multi-grain AND I wanted to use chia seeds as an egg replacer.

Now, granted, it's been four years since I tasted a bagel made with wheat. So, maybe I'm hallucinating. But it doesn't matter. For me, these bagels are the real deal. Not only that, I absolutely cannot believe how moist and tender the insides of the bagel were. The only significant change - chia seeds.

For those of you who tried making my bagels from this former blog recipe of mine, this recipe is in the same ballpark. But I think the chia VASTLY improves the texture. All I know is that when I sliced these babies open, I couldn't believe my eyes. And my mouth was very happy.

If your interest is piqued, but you want to use eggs, I would eliminate the chia gel and use 4 egg whites, per the original recipe.

Of course, using chia seeds per this new recipe presumes that you have chia seeds in your pantry. As for me, there ain't no turning back. When it comes to using them as an egg replacer for baked goods, I like their performance as much if not more than flax seeds and they've got a lot of nutritional cache, and while pricey, you get a lot for your money.

If you think you'd like to make this recipe but don't want to bother with all the ingredients, come back and visit. I'll keep experimenting as time goes on. If I can come up with a bagel that tastes like this one and packs as powerful a nutritional punch, but that has less ingredients, yours truly will be all over it.

Before starting, make your chia gel egg replacer:

1 cup + 2 tbsp water
2 tbsp chia seeds

Combine and let sit for about an hour, stirring with a fork or whisk every 10 minutes. Store unused chia gel in the frig.

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free Multi-Grain Bagels
makes 15 bagels

1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour (I used light buckwheat, and yes, it's gluten free!)
1/2 cup teff flour
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup tapioca starch
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp soymilk powder
2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/2 tsp guar gum
1 tsp sure-jel
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp agar powder
1 cup water (110 degrees) + 1 tsp sugar + 2 tsp yeast
1/4 cup vegetable shortening melted in 1/2 cup HOT water
1/2 cup chia seed mixture (directions explained above recipe title)
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
cornmeal

NOTE: I used a silpat mat to line my baking sheets (jelly roll pans with sides). Sprinkle cornmeal on them.

1. Place the dry ingredients, from the sorghum flour through the agar, into the bowl of a heavy duty stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix the dry ingredients together just until blended. (I haven't tried this with a hand mixer - I imagine it would work - let me know if you try it.)

2. Mix the 1 cup hot water and 1 tsp sugar and 2 tsp yeast. Cover with plastic wrap - this helps it proof (unless the yeast isn't good to begin with). Set aside.

3. Add the shortening to the HOT water and wait until the shortening melts. If the water isn't hot enough but you've already put the shortening into it, microwave it for another few seconds until it melts. With the mixer on a low speed, SLOWLY add this mixture to your mixing bowl and mix for about 15 seconds.

4. SLOWLY add the chia mixture and mix until blended.

5. Finally, SLOWLY add the warm water/sugar/yeast mixture. Add the apple cider vinegar. When all the liquid is incorporated, turn the mixer on high speed and mix for three minutes.

6. I will post two different ways to form the bagels:

A. The original recipe instructions for forming the bagels: Rub some shortening on your hands. Take a ping-pong sized ball of dough out of the mixing bowl and roll into a ball, then press it between your two hands to make it flatter, then insert your pointer finger into the middle of it to make a hole in the center of the bagel. Place the bagels on the greased sheet pans.

B. My updated instructions: Spray the inside of an ice cream scoop with vegetable spray. Scoop and drop the dough onto your slipat mat (sprinkled first with cornmeal). Repeat with the remaining dough, re-spraying the inside of the scoop as needed. Spray the palm of your hand and gently flatten each bagel. Spray your pointer finger with vegetable spray, insert into the middle of each bagel and create a hole. I found it worked best to wipe my finger after each hole was made and respray it.

7. In either case, cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for one hour.

8. At about 30 minutes into this process, preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

9. At about 45 minutes into this process, bring a large stockpot of water and 1 teaspoon of sugar to a boil. Once it reaches boiling (and the bagels have risen for one hour), quickly place four bagels in the pot. After 30 seconds, flip them over. Remove them from the pot with a slotted spoon and place on a rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining bagels. The extra water will drip onto the counter below the rack. Return the bagels to the sheet pans.

10. At this point, add any toppings you might like. Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, cinnamon sugar are all nice.

11. Place bagels in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Your bagels might need more or less time - keep an eye on them. When finished, remove from oven and place the bagels on a cooling rack.

NOTE: I have always found that gluten free baked goods need to sit for awhile before eating. Give them a good 30 minutes or more before diving headlong into their deliciousness.

Click here for printable recipe
What's your experience with gluten free bagels? Have you tried making them yourself?