Bagels are Like Donuts, But Bread

Believe it or not, I don’t think I “enjoyed” my first bagel until I was in college. I put enjoyed in parentheses, because I don’t really remember eating a bagel prior to college. I remember that it was a Big Apple Bagel, and I’m pretty sure at that time I disliked cream cheese.

Oh how times have changed.

I LOVE bagels, and I definitely enjoy a good helping of cream cheese. I also know my weakness for them.  Thus, I don’t buy them often because I know I’ll eat the whole bag in a week.

My husband will tell you that I don’t so much like bagels, but bread in the shape of the circle. I want my bagels soft and tender, not hard and chewy. His statement gave me a brilliant idea. Bagels are round with a hole in a center. Doughnuts are round with a hole in the center. Bread dough can be piped. Are you following my logic?

How to Make Gluten Free Bagels With A Gluten Free Bread Mix

Lucky for me, I recently received a Pamela’s Gluten-Free Bread Mix in my American Gluten-Free box. (This company no longer exists.) So, on an inspired weekday, I broke our my bread machine and my donut pan, and got to work on a batch of easy gluten-free bagels.

Making anything with yeast is my absolute nemesis. Therefore, I use my bread machine to prepare and proof the dough. It creates the optimal environment.

Once the dough for these easy gluten-free bagels has fully proofed, I dump the dough into a gallon Ziploc bag. From there it’s a simple snip of a corner and it becomes a make shift pastry bag!

Finally, pipe the dough into lightly oiled Wilton donut pans, lightly brush with egg whites, and sprinkle with a bit of salt. You could season it with anything you like, I suppose. If you’re lucky enough to live near a Trader Joe’s, you could use their Everything But The Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend.

How Many Gluten Free Bagels Will This Make?

From there it’s a simple bake in the oven. These easy gluten-free bagels bake much faster than a loaf of bread. I baked mine approximately 15 minutes, similar to a muffin. Because ovens are different, I suggest checking it after 10 minutes. Once they come out of the oven, you can enjoy them immediately!

This mix made twelve of these easy gluten-free bagels. After I enjoyed one (or two), I sliced the bagels and placed them in a new, clean Ziploc bag and stuck them in a freezer. Now I have bagels for my husband and I anytime we want!

Can I Use A Different Gluten Free Bread Mix?

This can be done with any bread mix, as far as I can tell. I also made them with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Homemade Wonderful Bread Mix. However, I preferred the texture of the Pamela’s Bread mix for this purpose.

Other Uses for Your Donut Pans

These easy gluten-free bagels are a great alternative use for a donut pan. Want some other creative ideas for a donut pan? Stop over at Tiffanie Turner’s site, Corner Blog, for 60 Donut Pan Ideas! For example, make bird feeders, ice rings for punch and even giant candy necklaces!

Of course, you can use my favorite Wilton donut pans to make donuts in them as well. Check out my recipes for Gluten-Free Pumpkin Donuts, or visit In Johnna’s Kitchen for 52 Gluten Free Donut Recipes. 

What’s your favorite thing to make in a donut pan? Donuts? Bagels? Something else entirely? Leave me a note below, because I may just want to try it!

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Originally Published January 2018

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Michigan Blueberries

When it comes to summer months, I love July. Why? Because here in Michigan,  it’s blueberry picking time! Every year, my husband and I drive 20 miles to Montrose Orchards. We often like to invite friends and family to go, especially those with little kids who get to experience it for the first time. It brings them such joy, well portrayed by my niece Kyra.

While we chat with friends, we stay busy picking these sweet berries. Our record is 10 lbs, although this year (July 2018), we managed to pick 7.5 lbs between us. And what does one do with all those beautiful berries? Make gluten free blueberry muffins, of course!

Nerd Alert

One day I wondered “How do different gluten free flours perform in a recipe?” A bit of background – I’m a bit of a nerd. As a kid, I sometimes took things apart just to see how they worked. I have a degree in Mathematics (for Elementary School Teachers) and I always like geometric proofs because it “proved” why something was true.

When I first tried my “experiment, I used  four different  flours. I tried GF Jules, Pamela’s Baking Mix, Krusteaz, and Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose flours. As I update this recipe, I chose four other flours with which to make my gluten free blueberry muffins. flours. My base recipe is the Dessert For Two recipe for Blueberry Muffins. 

Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins Made with Cup 4 Cup

I adore Cup 4 Cup Multipurpose Gluten Free Flour. If I want to make something right out of a “regular cookbook,” I prefer this mix every time. (Like these Resurrection Rolls!) Christina’s recipe uses only one egg white, which I may have mixed a bit too much. These tasted a  bit more like blueberry studded Angel food cake. (Which is still 100% delicious!) One important note. I ran out of Cup 4 Cup and had to use a smidge of another flour to attain the right amount of flour for these gluten free blueberry muffins. I imagine it altered the texture.

Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins Made with Pillsbury Gluten Free Flour

I purchased the Pillsbury gluten free flour for the first time recently. Truth be told, I’m not a huge fan. These gluten free blueberry muffins fell apart and the tops broke off when I removed them from the muffin tin. Now, as mentioned before, Christina’s recipe does not use the whole egg. So this may have been part of the cause. However, a gluten free flour blend that states it can be used as an equal replacement should have done better, in my opinion.

Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins made with Pamela’s Artisan Flour Blend

These. This batch of gluten free blueberry muffins using Pamela’s Artisan blend turned into a pleasant surprise. The package stated that it may need more liquid than other recipes, but I used the same base recipe as the other two. They baked up beautifully, although sunk a bit as they cooled. My husband tried one, and stated these reminded him of muffins you’d get from a bakery. Therefore, I’d call that a win, wouldn’t you? Also try her bread flour to make these delicious gluten free bagels!

Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins made with King Arthur Flour All Purpose Gluten Free Flour + xanthan gum

The three other flour blends included xanthan gum. King Arthur Flour All Purpose Gluten Free Flour does not. Therefore, I added 1/4 tsp of xanthan gum to the gluten free blueberry muffins recipe.

What is xanthan gum and what does it do? I explained it in my gluten free vegan chocolate cake post, so pop over there to read more in depth on it.

Like the other gluten free blueberry muffins, they rose well but flattened out once they reached over the muffin tin. However, they held together much better than the Pillsbury ones. In truth, I would suggest just buying their (AMAZING) gluten free muffin mix than making these from scratch.

In Conclusion

As I stated above, no two “tasters” are alike.  We all like certain products more than others for a reason. And you know what, that’s okay!  It’s great that there is so much safe, gluten free diversity out there. As Celiac Disease and culinary techniques improve, we have a lot of options.

As far as I’m concerned, if there is a product you use that helps you feel like a successful gluten free baker, that’s great! Now pardon me as I go enjoy another one of these gluten free blueberry muffins. Anyone want to come over and help me get rid of these?!

For a simliar review in a chocolate chip cookie recipe, check out this post, “What’s the Best Gluten Free Flour?” from The Gluten Free Austrian.

**I was not paid or compensated in any way by any of the names brands. This post does include Amazon affiliate links. My affiliate link directs a small portion of the sale back to me, while not changing the price you pay in any way. Thanks for helping support my blog!**

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