Pumpkin Bagels

Look at these amazing pumpkin bagels from Ambitious Kitchen

Don't they look amazing?

Um yeah.

They were so amazing that I completely forgot to snap a pic.
I just shoveled them into my face with complete abandon.
Even though the camera was sitting there. 

Right.
On.
The.
Counter.

The pumpkin in the batter makes them a bit more moist than the regular run of the mill bagel.  Although, if you are a bagel toaster, like me, you won't notice, as the toasting process dries up any excess moistness.  If you prefer an untoasted bagel, freaky freaks that you are, you will discover that although they are moist, they are not overly chewy.  

I mean I'm all for chewy bagels.  Bagels are supposed to be chewy.  However, there is chewy, and then there's CHEWY.  The pumpkin bagels are the right kind of chewy for a bagel.

There is also no need to worry if you aren't freaky on the pumpkin like I am.  They don't taste like pumpkin one bit.  The spices mask any veggie flavor that might have snuck in there.

I highly recommend these bagels!

Pumpkin Spice Bagels from Ambitious Kitchen1 cup of warm water (110° to 115°)
2 teaspoons yeast
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
3 1/2 cups of bread flour + more if necessary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
Olive oil
1 egg, slightly beaten

Place warm water in a large bowl and add yeast and brown sugar. Stir and let sit for about 3-5 min. Add pumpkin, spices, salt, and 2 c flour and begin to stir together to form a soft, sticky dough.
Transfer sticky dough to a lightly floured surface and add in another c flour and begin to knead dough by hand until all  flour absorbed. Add in another 1/2 c flour and knead again until all of the dough is absorbed. Knead dough 8 min. The dough should not be sticky, but smooth and elastic.
Place dough in a bowl coated w oil, and cover top allowing it to rise in a warm place until dough doubles in size, about 1 hr.

After hr, punch down dough and shape into 12 balls. Roll each dough ball into a rope, about 8" long. Wrap the dough around to form a complete circle and overlap the dough. Seal 2 ends together completely by rolling a bit; this is an important step or the ends will come apart when you boil them.

Alternatively you can push thumb through center to form 2" hole and stretch dough to form even ring. Place bagels on a baking sheet (greased or lined w parchment paper), cover again w plastic wrap and let rise 15-20 min

Preheat oven to 400F. Coat baking sheet w cooking spray.

Fill lg pot 2/3full w water and bring to a boil. Drop bagels, 2 at a time, into boiling water. Cook 45 sec on each side. Remove w slotted spoon; drain well on paper towels. Place on baking sheets, brush with egg wash, and bake 15-20 min til golden brown. Remove and cool on wire racks.