Cottage Cheese “Bagels”
Versions of this recipe have been floating around for some time. I decided to make them and was pleasantly surprised. They were easy to make and ready in no time at all. They are not like traditional bagels. These aren’t made with a yeast dough and they are not boiled. The chewy texture of a classic bagel is not there, but there is a bit of a chew and they still taste good. The addition of cottage cheese spikes up their protein content. I thought of maybe calling them something else, but for now, bagels it is.
The original recipe I saw called for 2 ingredients- self-rising flour and cottage cheese. Since most people I know don’t keep self-rising flour around I made the recipe adding baking powder and salt to allow for using regular all purpose flour.
We made these in the cooking with cottage cheese class the other night and the everyone really liked them. In class we topped them with everything bagel seasoning. You can leave them plain or perhaps top with sesame seeds, poppy seeds or caraway. They toast nicely, too.
My next plan to make these with different flours. Spelt and whole wheat flour for sure. Maybe add more ingredients to the dough, too. Other flavorings that I like in more traditional bagels.
So here is the recipe. If you make these, I’d love to know what you think. More recipes from the cottage cheese class will be posted soon.
Cottage Cheese Bagels
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cottage cheese
1 egg, beaten
optional, sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning or poppy seeds
Preheat the oven to 375 and position the rack to the top position. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone liner. In medium bowl combine flour with baking powder and salt and stir to blend. Set aside. Place the cottage cheese in the food processor or blender and pulse or blend on high until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Add the cottage cheese to the flour mixture. Mix until completely combined and the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a generously floured work surface and knead the dough 8-10 times, until smooth. Add more flour to the work surface as needed until the dough is no longer sticky. Roll the dough into a ball and divide it into 4 equal balls. If you want them to be the exact same size you can weigh out each piece of dough to approximately 80g or just under 3 ounces. Roll each ball out into a 6-7-inch rope, about 1-inch thick. Join the ends to make a circle and pinch the seam tightly to seal. Brush the tops with a beaten egg and top with your seasoning of choice. Bake in the preheated oven until puffed and golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Bagels stay fresh in an airtight container at room temp for up to 4 days. Makes 4.
Air Fry Directions Preheat the air fryer to 350 for 5 minutes. Spray the air fryer basket with nonstick spray and air fry for 12-14 minutes, until golden brown and no longer doughy in the center.
Note: You can use 1 cup of self- rising flour in place of the flour, baking powder and salt.
