Mung Bean Pumpkin Seed Bagels (B&P2)

Baking & Pastry Project #2 - Mung Bean & Pumpkin Seed Bagels

Bagels call for high protein flour that has 14 percent protein, compared to 12 percent protein found in bread flour. To convert this recipe, I started horsing around with my Excel spreadsheet to get the flour mixture right. I wanted to try making the bagels using a different combination of flours than I had used with the Lean White Bread. Plus, I wanted to minimize any of the potential down sides to using bean flours (i.e. bitterness).

Taking a long review of my listing of protein contents, I noticed that mung beans have a protein content of 20 g per 100g of flour and the flour was a beautiful minty green. It was the color that made me think of pistachios and pumpkin seeds. That led me to thinking about salmonella outbreaks. No surprise that I ended up selecting pumpkin seeds to help offset any potential bitterness from the bean flour and to provide the extra protein the mixture needed. Besides, I figured that might not be too many people out there harboring year old pistachios in their freezer...mumble...mumble...unlike me.

Next to consider was the choice of binder, in other words what is going to hold this gluten free bagel together when I go to boil or cut it. The problem is that if you use too much of any one binder, you tend to get gummy bread that makes you think of a bad jelly candy. Many commercial foods that use binders (i.e. gums) tend to use more than one since they work better together. For example, the pint of Green & Black's Vanilla Ice Cream I have in my freezer uses two gums, locust bean gum and guar gum. I chose chia seed meal and agar agar powder since each works a little differently. The bagels just need a little extra binding, so I chose not to cook the agar agar and used the powder.

"Sorghum malt syrup," you say, "What in the heck is that?" Well, it's the syrup that's made from boiling down the juice from the unmalted grain (rather than from squeezed sorghum canes) until it reaches a lovely amber color. Sorghum malt syrup is made from white sorghum and contains the proteins and amino acids needed to feed the yeast. It's the perfect thing to perk up bread, but also for making gluten free beer...maybe I should try a little side project in home brewing.

Glorious green dough is what came from the mung bean flour and pumpkin seed meal. Minty green like new leaf shoots and perfect for a St. Patrick's Day celebration, although I'm a little late for this year. Better yet, they retained their lovely green color through boiling and baking. Yep, they survived the boiling and maintained their shape. An added bonus was the glaze added to the bagels by the sorghum syrup water and it keeps the toppings on the bagel.

Hands down my family loved the bagels. No bean flavors to mar their enjoyment and my son (a no topping, no filling kind of guy) worked his way through several of these quite happily. He's almost 13 and while he eats like there is no tomorrow, he's no push over. He's not about to inhale anything that doesn't taste good. Yeah, the inhaling food thing makes me wonder too. Can he really taste his food? Hmmm...maybe it's the nose and taste buds combo that does it. Anyway, you've got his word on it - these taste good.

Recipe
Yield: 6 bagels

Note: You will need to grind your own pumpkin seed, chia seed meal and mung bean flour. You can use a coffee grinder, just make sure to sift your pumpkin seed meal and mung bean flour prior to using so as to remove any larger bits. You can purchase sorghum malt syrup from Midwest Home Brewing Supplies in a smaller 3.3lb container. All the flours, pumpkin seeds, mung beans, chia seeds, agar agar powder, salt and instant dry yeast from Barry Farm.


72 g brown rice flour(7.26 g protein)
60 g sweet rice flour (6 g protein)
60 g arrowroot starch (2.79 g protein)
50 g pumpkin seed meal, sifted (12 g protein)
40 g mung bean flour, sifted (12 g protein)
6 g chia seed meal
2 g agar agar powder
4 g instant dry yeast
5 g sea salt
2 g sorghum malt syrup
1 ml agave syrup
200 - 220 ml water

Water Bath

113 g sorghum malt syrup, for 2.5 gal water (227 g for 5 gal water)

Toppings

sesame seeds
pumpkin seeds

1. In a large bowl, pour in all the dry ingredients and stir together. Add the sorghum malt syrup and water into the bowl and mix together. Lay out a sheet of parchment paper and sprinkle with sweet rice flour. Dump the dough in the middle of the sheet and then shape into a rectangle. Divide the rectangle into 6 equal strips. Then roll each strip out and join the ends. Roll the ends together to attach them. Lay out another sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with sweet rice flour and lay the finished bagels on the parchment paper. Once you are finished shaping the bagels, place the baking sheet into the refrigerator and retard over night.

2. Fill a stock pot with water and pour in the malt syrup. Place on a burner and set it to boil. If you have a baking stone, place it in the oven and then preheat it to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Set out a sheet of parchment paper in your work area and near it set a bowl of ice water and your bagel toppings.

3. Once the water is boiling, place the bagels in the water and allow them to cook for 1 minute, but don't allow them to touch. Lift each bagel out of the water, place into the ice water for about 3 seconds. Allow the water to drain off before placing on the parchment paper. Sprinkle with toppings and allow to air dry for a couple of minutes. Then slide the parchment paper with the bagels on it onto the baking stone. Cook for 10 to 13 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the bagels to cool before slicing and serving.

Related Posts

Baking & Pastry Project #1 - Lean White Bread
Baking & Pastry Project Introduction - Week #1

Other Bagels from Gluten Free Bloggers

Bagels from Ginger Lemon Girl
Bagels & Lox from Gluten Free Girl
Bagels & Foccacia from I Am Gluten Free