L.C. Bagels

[jomil]

I am having trouble having to give up bagels and cream cheese.
Does anybody have a recipe for a bagel substitute with low carbo, or any other suggestions?
Regards
Joe
194/189/169.. lowest weight since I started the CAD about a month ago, because of my bagel addiction.

[IslandGirl]

well, Joe, ya know what it is, right? whatever we want the most is the thing that owns us... give them up for a week and see how you do.

that being said, two *other* things come to mind:
1) LC Bagels (expensive) online at lowcarbtreats.com
2) have your cream cheese (with lox, thin red onion rings and capers, deluxe!) on a WASA or RyeKrisp Fiber Rye cracker

Hope this helps. :eek:

[joanne42]

I've given up bagels completely and bread... I tried one day to eat bread again after giving it up completely for a year and let me tell you...I felt horrible.. the bloating the nausea were just not worth it. Give your body time to adjust and you will be okay.:D

[jomil]

Thank you Judi and Joanne42 for your interest.

How can I give up a Tim Horton 'everything bagel' and herbal cream cheese for a 'wafer'?

I am prepared to bake the bagels myself if I could duplicate the taste.... but if that is not possible I guess I will have to give them up altogether.

Is there such a thing as a 2/3 carbo bagel?

Joe
194/190/169

P.S.- I think I have just gained a pound thinking about this subject.

[joanne42]

I found this site to order the low carb bagels and am still working on finding a recipe for them.. Be patient..LOL

http://www.sugarfreeparadise.com/Merchant/index.htm

[doreen T]

Well, the other folks have given some great ideas for low-carb bagels that I didn't even know about! Good luck with your search.

While you're waiting for the order to arrive, may I suggest, ever so humbly (blush, blush) that you try a batch of my version of Revolution Rolls? I found the original Atkins' recipe to be unsatisfactory - so I've been working on "inventing" my own. I know, they're NOT bagels, but come close to kaiser-type buns/rolls ... and my most recent version is "grainy" and firmer - when split and toasted, they make the perfect base for soft cream cheese and whatever - I prefer savoury items like smoked trout and horseradish, or smoked pastrami and dijon and the like. I've even shaped them on the baking pan into long rolls for hotdogs, and they worked great.

Click here for the link (http://www.lowcarber.org/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=529) to where I posted on this forum. Sharon has also included her version, which is sweeter, more dessert-danish.

Doreen
p.s.- yet another version is on the way, to satisfy the savoury, hearty sandwich "tooth". Just needs a little more tweaking, then I'll post... ;)

[Sharon]

Check out Doreen's post entitled "Multi-Grain Revolution Rolls"....this was an earlier version of her buns. In the Food Ideas section.

I sometime add the cream cheese as indicated in one of my replies to her post. It's not herb cream cream, but if it's a "sweeter" taste you need sometimes you could try this.

I tried Doreen's new version and they are also good....she just keeps making them better and better!!

[cocoa8]

Your in luck. I just made these tonight and they are great.

To make 10-11 nice sized bagels (average sized)

1 cup Vital Gluten Flour (Bob's Red Mill??--24 grams per cup)
1.5 tbsp of pecan meal (almond meal, etc...)
1.5 tbsp of protein powder (I used apple cinnamon flavor)
1 large egg
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp yeast (1/2 package)
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 tbsp sugar (will be eaten by yeast)
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
3 quarts water
1 egg yolk
1 tsp ice water

Step 1:

Proof the yeast in the warm water and sugar

Mix flour, nut meal and protein powder in a bowl. Add in yeast mixture. Mix for a bit then add in 1 egg and salt. Mix together to form the dough. Dough will be smooth and elastic. If sticky, add a little more flour.

Knead dough for 8-10 minutes and place in a well oiled bowl. Coat the dough with the oil and cover in a warm draft free place until doubled in size (1 hour)

After 1 hour, punch down the dough and knead for another 2 minutes. Divide into 10-11 pieces. In the meantime have ready a well buttered cookie sheet. roll the dough in your hands to form 6-7 inch long sticks. Then tie ends together to make a bagel shape. Let them rest for 8-10 more minutes on the buttered cookie sheet.

Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil and add the baking soda and cream of tartar (very important becasue bagels will shrink without these two ingredients in the water).

Using a slotted spoon, carefully place 3 bagels at a time in the pot and cook for 2 minutes on each side. They will puff up considerable in the water. Place back on the buttered cookie sheet until all bagels are done be cooked in the water. Then coat the bagels with the egg wash (1 egg yolk and tsp ice water). Sprinkle with your favorite toppings at this point. Place bagels in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack if you can.

My carb count using pecan meal was 2.7 grams each. They are so delish!

It takes some time making this but I think it was worth it.

Hope you guys give it a try. So much cheaper than buying the bagels on line and this way you know what ingredients go into them!

Variations...shape into pretzel shapes!

[jomil]

Thanks a million Cocoa8 for your excellent achievement on making L.C. Bagels.
Now all I have to do is figure out the following;
1. How do I print out the recipe without copying all the other comments made before you sent the recipe?
2. Where do I buy all the ingredients, especially things like vital gluten flour, and pecan meal and protein powder?
How did you arrive at these ingredients to make bagels?
Do they have the same flavour as the real thing?
Thanks for your efforts
Joe

[joanne42]

Jomil if you click your left mouse button and highlight the print you want then hit the right mouse button and hit copy . You can paste it onto your file notepad then print it out...Hope this helps..

[Sharon]

Thanks for the recipe Cocoa8.....I'm anxious to try this one.... Every morning on the way to work/school...my daughter gets her Tim Horton's Blueberry bagel....and every morning she says "mom want one???", and she knows darn well what I'm going to say!!!

Going to try for sure this weekend....maybe I can use plain protein powder and add a few blueberries!!! :)

I'll let you know if I try a different flavour with success.

[joanne42]

TEEHEE Sharon that's what you call the "Test of Willpower"..And you are doing great with that willpower.:D

[r.mines]

That looks like a dynamite recipie, Cocoa8, thanks!!! And boiled bagels, too!!!! When I was in London I went into a bakery once and asked if their bagels were boiled...they just looked at me like I was nuts....but the joke was on them, for not knowing that REAL bagels are boiled! :p

I'm certainly going to try them, they look not too difficult and I'll bet they're good and chewy. Do they freeze well?

Rachel

[cocoa8]

I had one for breakfast this morning toasted with some buttere. It was great. They are nice and chewy and they do freeze well.

Enjoy!

[Sharon]

YES, YES, I just made these bagels. They turned out great... Anyone making them should remember they are "low carb"....it's like having a low carb muffin compared to a high carb muffin. I got 10 good sized bagels. I'm looking around at my breakmaker wondering if it just maybe it might work..... I will probably do some experimenting here and will let you all know my results.

I used to make high carb bagels and the method is exactly the same. For anyone who hasn't made bread or bagels before, they will find it a little time consuming the first couple of times. Something that might sound silly to some, but when making homemade bread I often sit my dish to rise on my heating pad turned very low. Seems to add just the right amount of warmth to make the bread really rise. These rose beautifully for me. I didn't have any flavoured protein powder, but I added a couple drops of apple oil and then I dusted the top with cinnamon and brown sugar twin. I'm looking forward to trying different varieties....i.e. blueberry, perhaps dust with oatmeal and cinnamon....etc.

This recipe will definitely help with my breakfast menus and will be something I can carry to the office. I'm very pleased to have this recipe to add to my collection. I'm looking forward to bacon and eggs and a bagel tomorrow morning!!! I don't think I'll have to worry about freezing any of this batch.

Thanks for sharing.... I'm also curious as to if it's your creation...or one you've picked up along the way.

Have a great Easter.

[cocoa8]

I found a similar one on another website in some article. I adjusted it to make it even lower carb and changed some of the ingredients.

[LCasa90125]

I just bought some LC Better Cinnamon & Raisin Bagels with effective carbs of 5.95g fiber 2.35g sugars 0g protein 4g serving 1/2 bagel from my low carb store I frequent.

I also bought LC Better Wheat Bread that taste so awsome. EC 3g, fiber 1g, sugars 0g, protein 2g, serving is 1 slice. I ate 1 1/2... it was so good...

The bread was $6.99 and the bagels were $6.99.

:eek:

I'm not much for cooking because I work, but I do cook dinner during the week, and meals on weekends.

Be Well,
Laurie

[Sharon]

LCasa...you're so lucky to have these products available from a local store...the only way I could get these kinds of things would be order they over the internet...and wait for them to be shipped.

I'm sure if they were available, I'd be treating myself once in awhile.

[LCasa90125]

Oh wow, I didn't realize. I guess I am pretty lucky to have a LC store in my area. I work full time and don't have a lot of extra time or energy for cooking.

I just wish all the 'regular' stores would carry our LC 'stuff' and I wish that it wasn't so darn expensive. As it is, the LC store I do get my 'stuff' from, runs out real fast. I'm on their email list so I get notice of new 'stuff' as it comes in, but I have to get over there asap or it sells out that fast.

I do order some 'stuff' online too, but you are right, it takes a long time to get delivered, unless you pay for fast delivery. It's not fair. We have to pay more for our food, plus delivery charges. That really sucks. Especially if you can't afford it.


Laurie

[jomil]

I still have not found out where I can purchase the various ingredients required in the L.C. Bagels recipe.

I will be back in Mississauga Ontario in another couple of weeks and would like to try and make these at home.

Meanwhile I have checked the large supermarkets here in Florida with no success.

Maybe I should try the health food stores here, but there are only two in the neighbourhood.

I really would prefer not to have to order and wait for a shipment from a distant supplier.

Any suggestions

Thanks

Joe

[joanne42]

How about searching out some health food stores.. a lot of products I was unable to find I found there...They don't cost anything more than at any other store... Lotsa Luck!!!!!

[Sharon]

Jomil...what ingredient(s) are you having a hard time finding??

Maybe we can help you.

I tried the bagels last night in my breadmaker....I only let the machine doing the kneading....and then I took the dough out to rise in a bowl (on my heating pad)...and they turned out great....in fact so good next time I'm making them smaller, so I can get them in my "wide" toaster!! (I also used breadmachine yeast). I find the vital gluten flour so sticky to work with...this made the clean up very easy...as the telfon type finish of the breadmaker just needed a wipe.

This is a keeper recipe as well.

[tamarian]

Hi Sharon, any recommendations on what to look for in a breadmachine? I might get one since I barely get time to make the shepherd's loaf :) I think your machine had good results making it, so will get one similar to yours to avoid trial and errors with different machines.

Wa'il

[Sharon]

HI Tamarian!!! Your bread definitely tastes better made by hand. It's good in the machine, but I don't think it requires the kneading that the machines gives it. I tried another recipe this week in my breadmaker and it turns out that it's the same one Karen indicated in the post about "machine bread recipes". Now it turned out really good....definitely the best machine bread I've found. It was so nice to have French Toast made with almost real bread. I'd like to find a recipe for machine bread with a few more "grains" in it. Over the months I have printed off several recipes...I just haven't gotten around to making them. For me, we're getting into the season where a "sandwich" would be nice (who wants to be cooking and in the kitchen when we could be outside having fun)....so I'm going to get busy and try a couple more.

Now if I was buying a new machine...(and they are so much cheaper now than when I got mine)...I would get one that makes a long loaf....(a loaf shaped like you buy in the store). Mine is a Black and Decker, which makes a tall loaf.

My daughter's b.f. told me that they only use the machine to kneed the bread and that they but it in a pan to rise and bake. I might try that sometime and see the results. He said you don't get as much crust then.

You might watch the newspaper...a girl I work with just got one for 25.00 in the paper....someone who thought they wanted a breadmaker...but didn't really!!!

[LCSue]

Originally posted by Sharon
I find the vital gluten flour so sticky to work with...this made the clean up very easy...as the telfon type finish of the breadmaker just needed a wipe.

Sharon, I am not quite sure what 'vital gluten flour' is. I saw some, um, Red Mill brand I think, Vital Gluten (but did not say 'flour') at the store. Is that the same thing?

[jomil]

Hi Sharon and all the other helpful Low Carbers!

I found the Gluten in one of the health food stores, but could not find pecan or almond meal. What is the purpose of using the meal?

Why also use protein powder? If I use apple cinnamon
flavour, it will not blend well with the onion or herb garlic that I would like to insert.

I am still planning on making them when I get back to Mississauga next week, but would be interested in hearing from all who have used this recipe.

I assume that the gluten flour is a substitute for whole wheat flour, etc. The package says that the gluten is added to the normal flour.

Rgards
Joe

[Sharon]

Almond or pecan meal....is basically ground almond or pecan nuts...be careful not to grind toooo much though or you'll get butter!!

I can find almond flour (meal) in the bulk section of my local Zehrs and also at the Bulk Barn (Ontario). As for pecan meal...I've always made my own....grind in either the food processor or coffee grinder.

When making the bagels...I use Natural Flavour..... Personally, I don't think I can buy Apple Cinnamon flavour locally.

I agree...I like to be able to add other flavours, i.e. strawberry jam or cream cheese...(be care some have higher carbs than others).

It takes time getting used to working with Gluten flour and other flours after using "all purpose flours" for years. Every flour seems to have it's own personality for sure... Gluten flour is nothing like whole wheat flour....if you're referring to the texture....it's more like soy flour...in texture.

Hope some of this helps.

[jomil]

Thanks Sharon

Will keep you posted on how things develop after I return

Regards
Joe

[Kay]

Boy, I hate to be such a wet blanket, but truth is important, right?

I made the bagels when the recipe first came out and I had to throw them in the garbage. I nearly cried. All those expensive ingredients. :(

I don't know what when wrong. I wonder if there was too much soda or cream of tartar in the boiling water because they tasted sour. (inedible, in fact) Other problems were that they were very hard to shape since the dough was so elastic, they untied themselves when I was boiling them, and that the finished bagel, after baking, had the texture of wet bread.

Anyway, it was very sad. I have thirty years kitchen experience and can make great low-carb bread. I don't know what the trouble was with my bagel making.

Just one final wet blanket note. I have found that whenever I make low-carb substitutes for high carb baking, I tend to eat a lot of it. Toast and peanut butter is so good that you want more!!! I mostly try to stay away from the substitutes because of this and get into the habit of eating vegetables for the carbs. (also tea and cream)

[SandraD]

I'm having trouble finding the Vital Gluten Flour locally for the bagels. Is there a substitute I can use? I'm really excited about the recipes I have found. Also, is this the only low-carb forum? I feel out of place being from the US.
Thanks for any help,
Sandra

[Sharon]

I would say there is no substitute for vital wheat gluten flour. I know it's available online, in the USA from Bob's Red Mills. Bob's Red Mills vital wheat gluten flour (it's 75-80% protein). Here's a link for more information:

www.lowcarbluxury.com/gluten.html

Don't feel out of place being from the USA....check the members list...there are members from all over....there are some from UK, some from Australian...and USA!!! Everyone is welcome.

[cocoa8]

The only reason why I used flavor protein powder was because I didn't have plain. So by all means adjust this recipe to your taste. I love the flavor of pecans so I used that instead of using more gluten flour.

All I can say is experiment with it. I got my flour from www.carbsmart.com and the pecan meal from www.low-carb.com

[jomil]

To Cocoa8 and all other interested parties!

Well I finally managed to make your recipe today in Mississauga, and I have the following to report:

From 1 to 10 as compared with the real bagels, I would rate my results as a 5.

I was able to get Gluten Flour and Almond meal at Bulk Barn.
I used whey powder instead of protein powder which I found at Loblaws.

I was able to use my bread machine which has a special Bagel Dough listing on its computer.

I found that I could not make long sticks and stick the ends together, because when I kneaded the dough it was popping like chewing gum and the ends would not glue together; so I ended up making bagels with no holes, (or little buns.)

Halve of the bagels did not rise very high and I learned that the boiling water with baking soda and cream of tartar had to be hot, rolling and with white foam and then they grew very well.

I am very curious to learn what each of the following ingredients does for the bagel, ie; gluten, almond meal, protein powder or whey powder.

I find that the texture of the bagel is very soft and large air pockets; I would prefer them much more dense and chewy like regular bagels.

Can anybody tell me what I did wrong as I am a novice baker?

Netzers book lists gluten flour at the same amount of carbs as most regular flours so what is the advantage? I believe the book shows 22 or 23 carbs for 1/4 cup of any flour including gluten.

All comments would be appreciated , Regards
Joe

[Bonnie]

Joe,


Nutritional Info For the above: per 30 g serving !/4 cup:



Energy 120 cal.

Protein 23 g ( Joe this is one of the differences between regular flour and vital gluten)

Fat .5 gm.

Carbohydrates 6 grams (this is the other big factor in using vital wheat gluten flour over others)

Dietary Fiber 0 gm.

Sodium 0 gm.

Hopes this clears up your confusion in regards to this product.

Bonnie

[debbiedobson]

i found gluten flour at the bulk barn today. is this the same as vital wheat gluten?

[doreen T]

At Bulk Barn, there's a tear-off pad of info. and nutritional data next to most of the bins, describing the product. Vital Wheat Gluten, Gluten or Gluten flour, as specifically called for in LOWCARB bread recipes is 75 to 80% protein. Bonnie has given the correct nutritional data in her post above .. :) ..

Bob's Red Mill is just a brand name, there are others as well, Rogers and Arrowhead Mills spring to mind. Don't get hung up on the brand name. And some stores may call it any of the names I listed above. What you look for specifically is the high protein content, 75 to 80%, or 23 to 24 gm protein per 30 gm serving.

Hope this hasn't confused you further .. :D

Doreen

Added Note

How to tell if what you bought is the right stuff ----- put a couple Tbsp in a bowl and add a little water. If it turns into a beige coloured rubbery mass, with a somewhat "meaty" odour, and absolutely no starchy residue or milkiness to the liquid, you DEFINITELY have vital wheat gluten. Go ahead with your recipes.

[Gracia_30]

Has anyone tried this in the bread machine??? I wonder if I put it on the setting that does everything but cook it, if it would work? or is this recipe too big??? I have a 2lb capacity. I also LOVE the everything bagels from Tim Horton's. I looked at that web site for bagels but when you calculate the exchange (I live in Canada) they're very expensive bagels!!!

Everything bagels would be easy to make (adding the toppings on top) and the other thing I was thinking about is that onions turn into sugar in our bodies hence making them a little higher in carbs??? Would I be correct in that assumption ladies???

Please let me know so I can start making these. My favorite thing to make are plain bagels with cream cheese and you add chopped cucumbers mixed with a little bit of red onions and red wine vinegar (salt & pepper to taste) OH WOW THIS IS GOOD!!!!

Thanks

[Sharon]

I use my bread machine for this all the time, like you said...just don't cook it. I use the "pasta" selection.

I find the gluten flour a read sticky mess to clean up...doing the kneading in the bread machine eliminates this as mine has a telfon type finish and I just have to wipe it out.

I find I can't make them with the hole in the middle, I sometimes just tie them in a knot.

[Gracia_30]

Ok so when your machine is done doing it's thang... you boil them then the egg wash (with toppings) then bake right???

I don't think I have a "pasta" setting on mine but I think it's called dough... or something or rather.... I haven't used it in a dog's age... LOL (low carb did that to me :D ) I will definitely try it. I'm not sure if we have a bulk barn here in Ottawa for all these ingrediences, but I'll check it out.

Thanks for your reply,

[doreen T]

hi everybody,

I tend to avoid discussions on breads, and baking in general (triggers wheat and especially yeast allergic-addictions) BUT ... I once saw on a TV cooking show, where the fellow made perfect bagels with the perfect hole in the middle ... by using a small ball of dough, and instead of rolling it into a rope and joining the ends ... He poked a hole with his finger through the middle, then twirled it around and around until it had stretched and opened up nicely. Don't know if it would work here, given the persnickety nature of the high-protein vital gluten .... but it' might be worth a try .. :)

Doreen

[Sharon]

Gracia_30...and any others interested....

Since trying "Kay's Final Bread Recipe" I haven't made bagels. I've been making her recipe into buns...and believe it or not...I think they're even more like bagels than this bagel recipe, and half the work. I get about 16 bagels out of a recipe....I make the recipe exactly the way Kay indicates.. only instead of putting the dough in a bread pan to rise, I cut it in pieces and shape them into buns and put them on pans not touching each other.....it hardly takes any work at all....(I don't knead again). I let them rise for about 70 minutes...and then bake...but it only takes about 20-22 minutes to bake them....they turn out with a nice crust....when still hot I use a brush and paint the top of them with butter (it soaks and makes the crust softer).

I store them in a plastic bag in the freezer. These are great with a little sugar free peanut butter and jam!! The gluten flour gives that "chewy" texture similar to some bagels....(at least what I remember of a bagel...it's been a long time since I had a high carb one!!)

I had good luck with the bagel recipe...this one is just easy for me, as there's no "boiling", and the breadmachine does all the kneading.

[Gracia_30]

Thanks for that reply. I will be trying this recipe. Just as soon as I can find all the ingrediences here in Ottawa.