Bagels are another thing you don’t really think about too often unless you’re 1. Not letting yourself eat them, or 2. They aren’t available in your country. Café Sol, the RPCV-founded Café in Maputo (my favorite place to eat!) has them, and luckily that’s close by the Peace Corps office, but other than that, nothing. Where’s a NY bagel shop when I need one?!?
sesame bagel, schmear, coffee, book, greenwich village. NYC knows what's up.
I have become (not-so-) recently obsessed with these little, soft, slightly sweet breads that they sell in my town (and elsewhere in Mozambique), at a couple select bancas… or you can just buy them from little boys on the street. (Totally not sketchy). I call them “fakels” because they often look just like mini bagels although they just taste like bread. Though for 5 meticais for 5 (about 16 cents), I am not complaining. Favorite way to eat them: cut in half (bagel style), heated up with peanut butter. Or just eating all five out of the plastic bag on my way home. Oops.
fakels in plastic.
less bageley this batch. you just have to imagine they are shaped like bagels. i swear.
I have been out of town or hosting guests the last two weekends so the Weekend Baking Project got put on hold, but this weekend I was determined to finally come face to face with yeast. Weird, I know. But for some reason, with the very rudimentary cooking and baking that happens here, I have been scared to venture into the “yeast” category. But not anymore.
BAGEL TIME! I will make delicious, fluffy fantastic bagels or die trying.
The Peace Corps recipe called for a huge list of ingredients: yeast (1T), sugar (3T), salt (1t), flour (~3C), warm water (1C). Not too hard! First step: dissolve yeast in warm water. I face my fears! It worked out okay.
yeast. hooray!
Then I added flour “until kneadable.” I used half “whole wheat” flour (aka white flour with some brown flakes in it… best I can get, and even then it’s been months since it was at the store) and half white, until I had something resembling a dough.
Next step: “place in greased bowl.” Sure!
this is my dough's "before" picture. Probably the only before and after where you want the after to be fatter! 
Then: “cover with clean towel and let rise in warm place for 30-40 minutes.” I hope my dough enjoyed the view. I certainly did!
Ta-da! IT ACTUALLY GOT BIGGER!!!! In this country I am often completely overjoyed when something actually works out the way it is supposed to… quite rare.
slightly fatter! yay!
Next step, and where it got interesting: separate into balls, work in anything you want, shape into bagels, and let rise again. Hmmm. Okay, creativity time. I decided to make 2 sesame, 2 cinnamon sugar, 2 cinnamon raisin, and one blueberry.
beautiful... not
Back out to the picnic table for 20 more minutes of rising.
…or not rising. Hey, I tried. Still not really understanding this yeast thing.
Now it gets weird. Boil the bagels for a couple of minutes til they rise to the top, then flip over. Should I be concerned that mine started out at the top and never moved? Hmm, yeah probably.
Back on the cookie sheet.
Next, into the oven for 15-20 minutes. Then: BAGELS!!!!!!!!!!!!
my bagel flower! okay, that name reflects something way prettier than this hot mess.
sesame! not horrible... one might actually recognize it as a bagel. yay!
Okay, they are kind of hideous, but taste delicious. That’s all that matters, right? Well, I guess if I am self-indulgent enough to have a blog to post pictures of food I should at least make it look pretty, but, hey, step by step.
I am glad that this three-hour experiment produced something edible. With no baking skills + living in Africa, edible product = complete success. for now, at least… And I am glad I finally made something with yeast, because I feel like this whole world has opened to me (monkey bread! English muffins! Other types of bread! Yay carbs!). But also, since the majority of the time was spent waiting and sticking my finger in the bowl with the cinnamon and sugar in it, I don’t know if I will be doing this again any time soon. I could have made cupcakes in a third of the time and while bagels are pretty great, nothing beats cupcakes. I am not sure how that is relevant, but something tells me it is.
Almost looks legit! Almost...
Okay, weekend baking continues. What’s next?
Has ANYONE out there ever made bagels?? If so, WHY WOULD YOU?? You must be living in Africa. Have a great day everybody.
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I definitely want to one day bake bread a lot, but yeah, I don’t think i’m going to tackle bagels anytime soon. I’m so impressed though!!!
How are you liking “A Heartbreaking Work…”
I am embarassed to admit that I have started it like three times and never finished it. But I have a copy out here in Moz and have resolved to tackle it once and for all after I finally sludge my way through the last third of Great Expectations.