Alie’s Magical Bagel Recipe!

I previously shared with you the story of Alie and how I met her. She was a remarkable person who could create new things and repair old ones. She always found time to organize the thoughts in her head through these activities. This is the story and the recipe she taught me to organize my thoughts!

Sometimes, when my mind was buzzing and became as tangled as a messy ball of wool, I found it challenging to generate new ideas for my work or make important decisions. It was like a clogged faucet and a heavy burden on my heart.

One beautiful autumn morning, I knocked on her door, seeking a cup of coffee and some relief for myself, of course. She was enjoying tea on her porch, so I stepped inside. I confessed that I was stressed and needed clarity of thought, but my mind was in disarray.

 She smiled and invited me to her magical kitchen. "Kitchens are used for baking," she said. "You can bake many things, but you can also bake your thoughts and ideas. When you observe the process of both, you'll notice the similarities." She led me to the counter. "Your thoughts are like the ingredients you use for cooking. When the right thoughts come together, an idea strikes your mind, just like creating the perfect balance of ingredients to bake a delicious bagel. Once your bagel dough is ready, you put it in the oven to bake, just as you do with your ideas to bring them to life. Consider this an exercise for your brain. At the end of the day, our actions shape our path and illuminate it. Creating, especially through crafting, is one of the most suitable activities for this. So, let's begin!"

For our fluffy bagel, we need 1 + ¾ cups of warm water and 1 cup of warm milk to activate the yeast. We add 1 teaspoon of dry yeast and 1 teaspoon of powdered sugar to the warm mixture and blend it until we see bubbles – the yeast's version of a stomach rumble.

Next, we sift 4 + ¼ cups of flour through a colander and add 1 teaspoon of salt to it. Mix the salt and flour together, creating a well in the center to pour in our warm yeast mixture. You can then form the dough with the help of a fork. Remember, take your time; being patient and passionate is key. This is where you provide the yeast with a canvas to work its magic!

While you wait, prepare a cup of coffee for yourself. Cover the dough mixture with plastic wrap and let it ferment for an hour, allowing the yeast to do its job.

When we reached this point, she led me back to the terrace in front of her house and made us each a cup of coffee. With some time on our hands, before returning to the kitchen, she shared a sweet tale with me.

"Centuries ago, in distant lands, there lived a messenger. This messenger served under the king's command and, among others, was one of the most trusted servants of the king, always personally delivering important news. He was both punctual and practical minded, knowing both the roads and the people he would encounter very well.

One day, the king expressed his desire to send a crucial letter to his brother who lived in distant lands, and he wanted only his trusted messenger for delivering this important letter. Upon hearing this news, the messenger felt immense pride and enthusiasm. He presented himself before the king, received the letter, and immediately set out on his journey. However, the road, unfortunately, was not as easy as it appeared on the map. Despite its seeming brevity, there were numerous mountains, rugged paths, cliffs, and even old growth forests that the messenger had to surpass. Realizing that he would never be able to deliver the letter on time, the messenger went straight to his friend who kept falcons. His friend offered his help to him and assured him that he could deliver the letter to the king's brother on time. The messenger gave all the gold he had in his pocket to his friend and sent the letter on the wing of a falcon to the palace beyond the mountains.

Time passed, but the falcon never returned. Meanwhile, the messenger, who was anxiously awaiting news from the king's brother, found himself unable to return to the palace. Believing that something had gone wrong, the messenger decided that after five days, he would return to the palace and accept whatever punishment awaited him. When he arrived he was surprised! He found the king's brother in the palace, and the falcon that had carried the letter was with him.

Upon seeing the messenger, the king became angry, and although the message had reached its destination on time, the fact that he had sent it on a falcons wing had shattered his trust in his messenger. That’s why, he threw him into a dungeon.

In the dungeon, the messenger waited for his fate with his eyes fixed on the small bars of his tiny window. He had to eat the king's leftovers every day, often going hungry because the leftovers were usually finished by the time they reached him. One day, they threw chicken bones in front of him, and the messenger, who had a practical mind, turned one of the bones into a key and managed to escape from the palace."

She ended the tale here, but the bagel recipe is not finished yet!

Once the dough has fermented, you'll find a slightly loose consistency. Sprinkle flour on a clean surface and place the mixture there. Gradually add flour to reduce stickiness while gently massaging the dough. You can knead the dough by folding it in layers, much like folding a blanket.

When it no longer clings to your hands, let it rest for 20 minutes under a kitchen towel. Now, our dough is ready!

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius and toast a bowl of sesame seeds in a pan until they turn golden brown.

Prepare our sweetener by mixing ½ cup of grape molasses with 1 tablespoon of water in a flat plate. Divide our dough into 10 pieces and shape them into 10 hoops or any other shape you’d like. Get creative! Dip these hoops into our sweetener mix and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper to prevent sticking.

Now, sprinkle sesame seeds on our hoops, and it's time to bake them. They'll need about 20-30 minutes in the oven.

After this delightful experience, we had prepared some jam, cheese, and, of course, our tea to enjoy with it. Although it didn't immediately solve my thoughts, it provided a pleasant break, and the act of creating something filled me with the joy of crafting and making things.

I highly recommend it to you as well!