These striped, masquerade-esque bagels might be some of the coolest looking things I’ve ever made. They are only slightly sweet, with dark chocolate and cherry ribboned throughout – making them a perfect bread to serve toasted with butter, cream cheese, or whatever you might fancy. I made this recipe for my family, and by the time I got to try one (which wasn’t that long after I made them, mind you), there was only one left. I’m glad that I did get a taste! Two dozen bagels, gone in an instant… I guess that means they were good, right?
The chocolate portion of this dough is made with dark cocoa powder and very little sugar, giving these bagels a rich flavour that goes well with a sweet or a savoury accompaniment. I kinda think they would be awesome toasted with cream cheese and fresh strawberries… *dreamy sigh*…Ah, well. Next time. I ate my one bagel toasted with butter, and it was de-licious.
This recipe is quite simple to make, with the exception that the “Twirling” process of the dough can make them come apart when you boil them easier, and it’s a little tricky to put them back together smoothly if that does happen (because of how they are sealed). Still, don’t let that worry you – some my bagels (of any flavour) almost always come apart in the boiling process, and it’s easy to re-fasten them. These particular ones just might look like they have more character, like so:
Yes. Some of them had that charming “Homemade” look. But whatever. They looked super cool regardless, and you could always just tell people that they’re supposed to look that way. 😉
This recipe includes step-by-step photos through the shaping and boiling process, since that’s the most tricky part. If you’d like to see more step-by-step pictures of the bagel making process, you can head on over to my Montreal Bagel Recipe, my Everything Bagel Recipe, or my Asiago Black Pepper Bagel Recipe… All of which have pictures of the the way the dough will look as you make it, shape it, and let it rise. While those flavours are all very different than this one, the method is essentially the same. Since I’m a pretty visual learner, I’ve tried to visually document this process for you – with as many notes to go along as I can, just so that you can imagine it as accurately as possible before you attempt to make it.
Anyway, enough chatter… Scroll down for the recipe!
Chocolate Cherry Bagels
This beautiful, marbled, sweet but not-too-sweet bagel recipe is an easy way to impress your friends and family. Can be fresh from the oven in only 2-3 hours!
Ingredients
For the Plain Portion:
- 1-1/2 cups lukewarm water
- 1/2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp dry active yeast
- 2 Tbsp oil olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup liquid honey
- 1-1/2 tsp molasses fancy/table molasses or blackstrap - table molasses is my preference
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 egg beaten
- ½ cup dried cherries chopped
- 5-1/4 cups all-purpose or bread flour (+extra if the dough is too sticky)
For the Chocolate Portion:
- 1-1/2 cups lukewarm water
- 1/2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp dry active yeast
- 2 Tbsp oil olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup liquid honey
- 1-1/2 tsp molasses fancy/table molasses or blackstrap
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 egg beaten
- ½ cup dried cherries chopped
- ½ cup dark cocoa powder
- 4-1/2 cups all-purpose or bread flour (+extra if the dough is too sticky)
Poaching Syrup:
- 1/2 cup liquid honey
- 16 cups water 16 cups = 1 gallon
Instructions
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the lukewarm water with sugar and yeast from "The Plain Portion" ingredients, and stir to dissolve (there may be small clumps that don't blend in very well - this is okay). Allow this mixture to rest about 10 minutes, or until slightly risen and bubbly.
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Add the oil, honey, molasses, salt, beaten egg, and dried cherries; stir to combine. Stir in the flour, and knead on a lightly floured work surface until smooth and elastic, about 3-5 minutes, adding a little more flour if the dough is sticky. Place the dough back into the bowl, cover with plastic, and set aside.
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In another large mixing bowl, follow the directions from steps 1&2, but this time using the ingredients from "The Chocolate Portion," again adding a little extra flour if the dough is sticky. Allow both portions of dough to rise 1 hour or until doubled.
Note: To test if the dough is risen enough, stick your finger into the dough - if an indentation remains without shrinking back where your finger was, it is ready to use.
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While the dough is rising, combine the water and honey for the poaching syrup in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, just to keep it hot, until ready to use.
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When the dough has risen enough, punch it down in both bowls to remove any air bubbles. Turn each portion out onto a clean work surface. Divide each portion of the dough into 12 evenly divided portions (each should weigh about 100 grams) - for a total of 12 plain pieces of dough and 12 chocolate ones (24 total).
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Press 1 plain and 1 chocolate piece together, cut that in half, and then roll each portion of blended dough into a long rope, about 12 inches long. Twist the rope a little to make a candy-cane stripe pattern, and bring the ends together with about a 1-inch overlap, pinching the ends together firmly to seal. Roll over the pinched portion of dough a couple of times, with your hand in the hole of the bagel, to make the seam a little smoother and more uniform. Set the finished bagel onto a parchment lined baking sheet, and repeat with the other bagels until all 24 have been shaped and placed on parchment lined baking sheets. The holes in the centre of the just-shaped bagels should be large enough to fit a golf ball inside snugly.
Note: If the dough is sticky, you can use a little flour on the work surface to prevent sticking. Also, I like to make my bagel holes a bit on the small side, so I usually roll them with 3 fingers in the hole instead of my whole hand.
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Bring the poaching syrup back to a boil, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, and allow the bagels to rest 10-20 minutes, or until about 1-1/2 times their original size. They won't look very much larger - just slightly more puffy.
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Drop 3-5 bagels into the boiling poaching syrup (depending on the size of your pot - you want them to have room to expand without overlapping each other), and allow them to poach 1 minute on each side, but not longer. If anything, take the bagels out slightly before they reach the 1 minute mark per side. Lift the bagels out of the water using a slotted spoon or fork, allowing them to drip slightly before setting them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. The bagels should double in size during this step.
Note: If the bagels sink to the bottom of the pot instead of floating on the top of the water, they aren't risen enough. The bagels should float right after you drop them in.
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Allow the bagels to cool slightly, and then re-attach the ends of any bagels that broke open during the poaching process. (The dough should be a sticky, spongy texture at this step.)
Note: When the bagels have been twisted for that "Ribboned," striped look, it will be a little more tricky to figure out how the ends should re-attach if they come apart in the water (which some of them are likely to do); however, don't worry too much about that - just find a way to stick them back together in a ring, as smoothly as you can. To avoid the bother, if you prefer, you can roll the bagels without twisting the dough (as in step 5), making them striped bagels which will be much easier to re-attach if they come apart in the poaching process.
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Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.
Recipe Notes
In this recipe, 1 cup of flour = 140 grams.
Boo yeah. I had all kinds of thrills pulling these out of the oven. I felt like a champion. As always, let me know if you make these! I’d love to hear how they turn out.
Back soon!
–Naomi
