These Kefir Milk Pumpkin Spelt Bagels represent a mashup of two ideas I’ve been considering for a while. Pumpkin Bagels have been on my list for several years and utilizing kefir milk as a fermentation method, as opposed to just providing hydration and flavor, is also something I’ve wanted to try. I decided why not combine the two and see what happened. I’ve been culturing my own kefir milk and yogurt for the past year or two so it only made sense that I should try and find creative ways to use them in baking.
Substitute kefir milk for the water in these Kefir Milk Pumpkin Spelt Bagels
The first time I made these bagels, I substituted kefir milk for the water and spelt for the all-purpose and whole wheat flour. I kept the other ingredients the same. Since I hadn’t used kefir milk to ferment bread before, I added a teaspoon of yeast to make sure it would rise. I forgot to add the baking soda to the boiling water bath, but the bagels still turned out chewy and delicious. My youngest son, who doesn’t normally like pumpkin in baked goods, took a bite and said, “Mmmm!” pause, another bite, and “Mmmm!” again. I took that as a thumbs-up!
My friend, who does not consider himself a bread lover, is now a convert because of these bagels. Until recently, he viewed bread only as the medium with which to hold a sandwich together. The first time I heard him say that, I remember thinking, “This is going to be a challenge, but I’m up to it!” Little did he know that I would win him over with different types of bread, pizza, homemade crackers, and now these bagels.
When I told him about this experiment, he sounded interested, but I didn’t think too much of it because he always takes an interest in what I’m doing even if he doesn’t care to sample the results. The day I made the bagels, he asked me how the experiment went. I said it went fine and I was very pleased with the results. He inquired a little further and it finally dawned on me that he was fishing. So I offered him a bagel toasted with butter and he gladly accepted.
He enjoyed the bagel so much that he made it a point to ask me if I was going to write about him in my post. He described the bagel as being fresh like one you would get early in the day from a bagel shop as opposed to one that had been sitting there for a while getting chewier as the day progressed. He also said it tasted great with just butter and did not need cream cheese. He is a bagel lover, and I did not know it. So there you go. If you want to win friends and influence people, make these bagels.
Use a pinch of yeast in these Kefir Milk Pumpkin Spelt Bagels
For the second batch, I cut the amount of yeast in half and kept the other variables the same except I ran out of time due to Christmas festivities and hosting the family gathering. After the overnight fermentation in the refrigerator, I didn’t have time to make the bagels so I placed the dough in the freezer for a couple of days. The night before I planned to bake them, I took the dough out of the freezer and placed it back in the refrigerator.
I was extremely pleased with the results. I thought the second batch was even better than the first. My son agreed and two of his friends sampled them and enjoyed them as well.
The third time I made these bagels, I was feeling fairly confident that this method worked and decided to try the dough without adding any additional yeast. Unfortunately, I rushed the third experiment and although it worked, I didn’t think the bagels were fabulous. So I’m going to continue using at least a pinch of yeast when I make these bagels and let them ferment in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours.
Additional Bagel Recipes:
Gluten Free Bagels with Kefir WaterKefir Milk Asiago Spelt Semolina BagelsMini Sourdough Oatmeal Blueberry Egg Bagels and Bagel LoafSourdough Bagels with Sprouted WheatSourdough Kefir Water Bagels with Sprouted WheatSourdough Kefir Milk Bagels with Sprouted WheatSourdough Kombucha Bagels with Sprouted Wheat
Kefir Milk Pumpkin Spelt Bagels
- Total Time: 4 hours 35 mins
- Yield: 8-10 Bagels 1x
Description
These Pumpkiny-Delicious Kefir Milk Spelt Bagels, made with spelt, fermented with kefir milk and flavored with pumpkin, are in a class of their own.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose spelt flour
- 1 cup whole grain spelt flour
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp instant yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1 cup kefir milk
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (NOT pie filling)
- 1 tbsp baking soda, for the boiling water bath
- 1 egg, for brushing on bagels before baking
- cornmeal for dusting baking sheet
- sesame seeds or your favorite seeds for topping
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients: all-purpose and whole grain spelt flours, brown sugar, yeast, salt, and spices.
- In a separate container, stir the pumpkin puree and kefir milk together.
- Add the pumpkin/milk mixture to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly using a Danish dough whisk or wooden spoon. When the dough becomes to thick to mix with the whisk or spoon; continue mixing with your hands until everything is thoroughly combined.
- Form the dough into a rough ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl. Turn to coat it with oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let it proof in the bowl for a total of 2 hours.
- Remove the dough to a lightly-floured counter after the 1st hour and fold the dough onto itself from all 4 corners to strengthen the gluten structure. Form the dough into a ball again and place the dough back in the bowl; recover.
- After the 2nd hour, make sure the bowl is covered tightly and place it in the refrigerator to retard overnight.
- The next day, or up to 48 hours later, remove the bowl from the refrigerator and let the dough sit out at room temperature to warm up – 30 – 60 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 8 – 10 balls depending on how big you want the bagels. Place the dough balls on a baking sheet and let them rest for 20 minutes. The dough is sticky so I rolled the balls lightly in flour and used floured hands to do this.
- Shape the balls into bagels by poking a hole in the middle of the ball with your finger. Gently widen the hole until it forms a ring. The bagels will continue to expand so make the holes a little larger than you think. Place the shaped bagels on a lightly greased baking sheet and set them aside.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring it to a boil. Add the 1 tbsp baking soda.
- Using a large slotted spoon or tongs, drop a few bagels into the boiling water. They will go right to the bottom of the pan but don’t fret, they will rise when it’s time for them to be turned. Let them boil for 1-2 minutes on each side. Longer boiling results in a chewier bagel so pay attention during this step. Remove them from the water to a clean kitchen towel to drain.
- After all of the bagels have been boiled, transfer them to a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal.
- Whisk the egg for the egg wash and brush the top of each bagel with the egg mixture. Sprinkle the seeds or toppings of your choice on top of each bagel.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the crust is a deep golden color. Rotate the baking sheet halfway through the bake cycle for even baking.
- Remove the bagels to a wire rack to cool before slicing and serving.
Notes
Adapted from thetarttart.com’s Pumpkin Bagel recipe
Prep time includes mixing, proofing on the counter, shaping and resting, and prepping for the boil, but does not include the 12 -48 hour cold ferment in the refrigerator.
Bake time includes 15 – 20 minutes for boiling and 25 minutes for baking the bagels
- Prep Time: 230 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Category: Bagels
I affectionately named these bagels Pumpkiny-Delicious Kefir Milk Pumpkin Spelt Bagels because they are in a class of their own, and I thought they deserved their own name. You may call them whatever you like – as long as it’s nice.
Happy Baking!
Cathy
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