Blueberry Bagels

In a small bowl, combine yeast, warm water, and 2 Tbsp sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved. Set aside until mixture becomes foamy and fragrant (5 – 10 minutes).

In a saucepan on medium heat, combine the blueberries, lemon zest, and sugar. Stir to combine. Heat until about half of the blueberries have liquified. Cool off to the side.

Add the flour, salt, and yeast mixture to a large bowl. Add the cooled blueberry mixture and stir to combine. This will form a very shaggy dough – don’t panic.

Knead the shaggy dough on a lightly floured surface until it springs back when touched. Add flour a tablespoon at a time if the dough becomes sticky. Place the dough ball in a covered bowl and let rise for 1 hour.

After an hour, punch down the dough and divide it into 12 equal-sized dough balls. Place the dough balls on a lined cookie sheet and allow them to rise for another 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, form each ball into a bagel shape by making a hole in the middle of the dough ball. Make sure the sides of the bagel are relatively the same thickness. Place back on the cookie sheet and allow to rise for a final 30 minutes. Start the water boiling for the bagel bath with 10 minutes of rising time left.

Preheat the oven to 415 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the bagel bath comes to a rolling boil dissolve 1 Tbsp of brown sugar in the water. Then place 2-3 bagels in the bath. Allow them to soak in the bagel bath for 1 minute on each side.

After the bagels have cooled from coming out of the bath, brush them with an egg wash (1 whisked egg + 1 Tbsp water) and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Wait until cooled to cut to preserve the crumb.