Today, I’m celebrating #FoodBloggerLove, which means I get to introduce you to an awesome fellow food blogger – Audrey from That Recipe.

One of the things she said on her info was she’s “will try most things at least once”, which I find so inspiring. One of the things I love about food blogging is that it constantly gets me to push my comfort zone. In honor of that, I decided to tackle something that’s been on my baking bucket list forever – homemade bagels.

Luckily, Audrey had a recipe on her blog that was promisingly called Who Knew Homemade Bagels Were This Easy To Make? That was just what I was hoping to hear!

In truth these were a time investment – like any yeast bread – but not nearly as intimidating as I was imagining. The whole family loved them! If you’re interested in seeing how she colored them pink (naturally!), pop over and check it out. They’re adorable, and perfect for Valentine’s Day!

You can also find That Recipe on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter.

Want to see all the other #FoodBloggerLove being posted today? Check out the link party below!

Homemade Bagels

Makes 16

For the dough:
2 cups lukewarm water
1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 cup instant malted milk powder
5 1/2 – 6 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt

For the water bath:
8 cups water
2 Tbsp. instant malted milk powder
1 Tbsp. sugar

To top:
1 large egg white, beaten with 2 tsp. water
Optional toppings: sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dehydrated onions, etc.

To a small bowl, add the warm water. Sprinkle the sugar and yeast on top and let sit for 5 minutes. When the yeast is foamy, stir in the malted milk powder.

In a large bowl, whisk together 5 cups of flour and salt. Add in the liquid and mix until combined. Add flour until it comes together enough that you can knead it.

Knead, either by hand or using a stand mixer, for 5-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth. Place in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 2 hours – until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a stockpot, bring the water bath ingredients to a boil.

Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and punch down. Divide the dough into 16 equal balls. Poke a hole through each ball and spin it a bit to create a bagel shape.

Add the bagels to the boiling water in batches, boiling for 30 seconds, flipping, and boiling for 30 seconds more.  Remove to a lined baking sheet with a slotted spoon.

Brush each bagel with the egg white wash. Sprinkle with toppings, if desired.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

adapted from That Recipe 

If you are a blogger who wants to participate in #FoodBloggerLove next year, make sure to join our Facebook group to know when sign-ups open!