Gluten Free Bagels with Lox Schmear

You can have your gluten free bagel and schmear, and don't have to give up taste, texture, or ease of baking. These will satisfy even the pickiest eater. A great soft interior, burnished exterior, and all your favourite toppings.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American, Jewish, Middle Eastern

Keyword bagel, gluten free, lox, schmear

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Cooling Time 20 minutes

Servings 6 bagels

Ingredients

3 cups blanched almond flour not ground almonds which may have the skins ground in as well
1 1/4 cup tapioca starch can also use arrowroot starch
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. honey
2/3 cup warm water around 100F
1 egg yolk with a splash of water beaten for egg wash before sprinkling on the toppings

Toppings

sesame seeds
za'atar blend
grated parmesan or cheddar cheese
poppyseeds
Every Bagel Blend

Lox Schmear

3/4 cup whipped or softened cream cheese
1 tbsp softened butter
4 tbsp finely chopped smoked salmon
1 tbsp finely chopped chives or green onion
zest and juice of half a lemon
1/4 tsp of black pepper or to taste
finely chopped dill for garnish

Instructions

Bagels

Preheat oven to 350° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the almond flour, tapioca starch, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
Whisk the apple cider vinegar, honey, and water in another bowl till well blended. Pour this into the large bowl and mix everything together by hand until smooth.
Fill a large pot or wok half full of water and bring to a boil. Once the water has come to a boil, reduce the heat slightly to keep water at a gentle boil.
Take the dough and place it on a floured surface (I use rice flour for this step, but you could use oat flour or any other gluten free flour, unless of course you are sticking to a grain free diet) Shape it into a log and use a knife or bench scraper to divide it into 6 equal portions.
Wet hands and form each portion into a ball. Flatten the ball just slightly. Place your index finger into some of the bench flour you are using and press it into the middle of the ball and move in a small circle, creating a wider hole in the middle of the bagel. Repeat with each bagel.
Carefully drop 2 bagels in the boiling water and wait until they float to the top. Gently remove with a slotted spatula or spoon and place them on the prepared baking sheet. I like using a slotted spatula, since there are no edges to cut into the softened dough which could damage the bagel somewhat.
Repeat until all bagels have been boiled.
Bake in the centre of the oven for 10 minutes.
Remove the baking sheet from oven and brush one with beaten egg yolk. Top each bagel with plenty of which ever spices or blends you desire. Don't egg wash them all and then go back and sprinkle on the toppings. The egg wash will start to harden, thus reducing it's ability to hang on to the toppings. Do one bagel entirely at a time.
Return bagels to the oven and cook for 20-25 more minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to rest on a cooling rack for 10-20 minutes before serving. The centre of the bagels needs to firm up and dry out a bit or else they will be gummy.
To freeze, slice in half, place a small piece of parchment between the halves and then wrap each bagel in plastic wrap. Store in a freezer bag for future cravings. This way, if you only want half a bagel, you won't have to wait for the bagel to thaw in order to slice it in half.

Lox Schmear

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl till softened and completely blended. This can be made in advance and stored in the fridge till needed. Sprinkle with dill before serving. Pull it out so that it can come to room temperature before serving.

Recipe Notes

Bagel recipe courtesy of Kiwi and Carrot

Everything Spice Blend, for when you don't have Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel Mix on hand
2 tsp. poppy seeds
1 tsp. white sesame seeds
1 tsp. black sesame seeds
1 ½ tsp. dried onion flakes
1 ½ tsp. dried garlic flakes