English Muffins or Bagels

Save and freeze potato water from boiled potatoes to make English muffins. Otherwise make potato water by peeling and cutting up a small potato and putting it into a blender. Add boiling water and blend until a liquid is formed.

Ingredients

1 package or Tbl of dried yeast

½ cup warm water

1 ½ cups of potato water (if you are using water from boiled potatoes, if you made the potato water from a whole potato cut it with half as much plain water)

1 tsp. salt

Enough flour to make a soft dough approximately 4 cups.

Proof the yeast in the warm water. When bubbly add potato water, salt, and as much flour as needed to make a soft but not sticky dough. Mix with a heavy duty mixer, food processor, or stir with a spoon and knead until well combined.

Let the dough rise until doubled (about 1 hour). It has doubled if you stick two fingers in the dough and the impression remains.

Punch down the dough. The muffins can be baked now but they are even better if you let the dough rise again over night.

Put dough on a floured board and let rest for 10 minutes. Form dough into 10 muffins and let rise on a floured surface for about ½ hour.

Heat a couple of cast iron skillets on the top of the stove over low heat and place muffins on the pan. Bake uncovered until lightly browned, flip them over, and finish baking.

Cool on a rack

For Bagels: Prepare the dough but only let it rise once. Put on a board and let it rest for 10 minutes. Divide the dough into 10 pieces and form each into a bagel by rolling it into a sausage and the bringing the ends together. Put on a floured baking sheet and let rise for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile preheat the oven to 375 degrees and boil a large pot of water. Gently, usually three at a time because they expand, place the bagels in the hot water and let boil until they become puffy. Turn them over to the other side. Return them to the baking sheet which can have poppy or sesame seeds spread on it. Bake the bagels for approximately 30 minutes or until golden.