Homemade Pumpkin Spice Bagels

The pumpkin train has the left the station, and there's no turning back now. After last week's pumpkin creamer unveiling, I was inspired to keep the good times rolling, and this time it is in the form of a bagel. I am a loyal everything-bageler (is bageler a word, probably not, but let's go with it), but when the pumpkin bagels come out in the fall, I drop everything I have ever known about everything bagels, and head straight for that orange goodness. Since I had success at my first attempt at homemade bagels, I decided to give a pumpkin version a try. One point that I should address, please make sure to spray basically everything with non-stick cooking spray. Otherwise you may find yourself in a bagel-stuck-to-the-baking-sheet-while-rising-demise, and therefore leaving you a sticky kitchen mess. What bagels were able to be salvaged and baked turned out wonderfully, full of spiced flavor and perfect for the upcoming fall season. Brace yourselves, pumpkin everything is coming. 

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Bagels

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 1/4 cup very hot water (around 110 degrees F)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar 
• 3 1/2 cups bread flour (could also substitute all-purpose flour)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 tsp. baking soda

Place all of the ingredients except for the baking soda into your bread machine in the order listed by the handbook (mine lists wet, dry, then yeast). Be sure that the yeast does not touch the liquid when you place it into the pan.

Place the bread machine on the dough cycle and allow it to mix the dough and then rise. Once the dough has risen, remove from the bread machine and place onto a floured surface and punch the dough down.

Cut the dough into 8 evenly-sized pieces (or how ever many bagels you would like to have), and roll each piece out into an 8-inch rope. Wet each end of the rope and form a circle, overlapping the wet ends around each other by about an inch, pressing firmly to seal. The hole in the center should be about the size of a quarter.

Place the formed dough on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, and cover with a towel for about 20 minutes to rest and rise slightly.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees F and bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the baking soda and lower to medium-low heat for a low simmer. After the bagels are done resting, stretch the holes in the center again to be the size of a quarter. Boil 3-4 bagels at a time in the water for 45 seconds on each side. The bagels will look slightly wrinkled. Place the boiled bagels onto a wire rack while you finish boiling the rest.

Place the boiled bagels onto a baking sheet (or 2 if you need), lined with parchment paper sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. 

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, rotate the trays and bake for another 10 minutes until the outside forms a nice crust in a deep caramel color. Remove from the oven and let rest for 30 minutes, allowing the inside to keep cooking slightly, forming a chewy interior.

Keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.