Gluten-Free Bagel Recipe
This recipe is from Bread & Butter: Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes to Fill Your Bread Basket (Clarkson Potter) by Erin McKenna, founder of Erin McKenna’s Bakery in New York City and owner of a new location at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.
Photo: Davide Luciano and Clarke Tolton
Plain Bagels
Makes 12
Re-creating the unique texture and flavor of the classic New York City bagel in a vegan and gluten-free iteration had me sobbing fitful tears. I traveled around New York City like a possessed person, eager to taste-test others’ nontraditional bagels, only to discover what I always discover: Gluten-free is one thing, and vegan and gluten-free is something else entirely. Without eggs, gluten-free bagels are typically extremely dense. But obviously using eggs was a nonstarter. So I used my trusted formula of adding a bit more arrowroot and a dose of hot water and found slight success. I eventually learned that it was the centuries-old boil-and-bake technique foiling my recipe—I’d need to forgo boiling. Ultimately, the trusty BabyCakes kitchen staff convinced me that the simple, even lazy technique that follows is by far the best method given the ingredients.
1⁄4 cup (33 GRAMS) cornmeal, for the baking sheet
2 cups minus 1 teaspoon (198 GRAMS) gluten-free oat flour
1 cup (140 GRAMS) brown rice flour
1 cup (120 GRAMS) arrowroot
3⁄4 cup (144 GRAMS) potato starch
1⁄3 cup (70 GRAMS) vegan sugar
2 1⁄4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon (15 GRAMS) baking powder
1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
1 3⁄4 cups (395 GRAMS) warm rice milk (about 100°F)
1⁄3 cup (70 GRAMS) coconut milk
1⁄3 cup (70 GRAMS) melted unscented coconut oil, plus more for brushing
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, sprinkle generously with the cornmeal, and set aside.
In a medium bowl,whisk together the flours, arrowroot, potato starch, sugar, yeast, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt. Pour in the warm rice milk, coconut milk, and coconut oil and, using a rubber spatula, stir until a sticky dough forms. Place the dough in the refrigerator and let it chill for 1 hour, until firm.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and,using a large ice cream scoop, measure out 12 heaping portions on to the prepared baking sheets 2 1⁄2 inches apart and roll into balls. Wet your fingertips and form a hole in the center of each ball of dough to create the shape of a bagel. Cover the dough with a dish towel and let it sit on the countertop for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Uncover the bagels and bake them for 10 minutes. Brush them with a little coconut oil, rotate the baking sheet 180 degrees, and bake until golden brown, 6 minutes. Let the bagels cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before serving.
More gluten-free goods:
How to eat gluten-free at Disney World
