What do you say when someone asks you, “How was your day”? Do you just give a pat answer like, “Not too bad,” or do you actually go into detail about the good, bad, and the ugly? If you are a mom who has young kids you might be at a loss for words when your husband comes home from work and asks this question, as husbands like to do. They are genuinely interested in what went on while they were away, and it seems like a caring, innocent question. How was your day?
I recently read the post, Questions That Will Save Your Relationships, by Glennon Melton. She so perfectly describes that moment when the “So, how was your day” question hangs in the air. Maybe you can relate?
How was my day? Today has been a lifetime. It was the best of times and the worst of times. There were moments when my heart was so full I thought I might explode, and there were other moments when my senses were under such intense assault that I was CERTAIN I’d explode. I was both lonely and absolutely desperate to be alone. I was saturated — just BOMBARDED with touch and then the second I put down this baby I yearned to smell her sweet skin again. I was simultaneously bored out of my skull and completely overwhelmed with so much to do. Today was too much and not enough. It was loud and silent. It was brutal and beautiful. I was at my very best today and then, just a moment later, at my very worst. At 3:30 today I decided that we should adopt four more children, and then at 3:35 I decided that we should give up the kids we already have for adoption. Husband — when your day is completely and totally dependent upon the moods and needs and schedules of tiny, messy, beautiful rug rats your day is ALL OF THE THINGS and NONE OF THE THINGS, sometimes within the same three minute period. But I’m not complaining. This is not a complaint, so don’t try to FIX IT. I wouldn’t have my day Any.Other.Way. I’m just saying — it’s a hell of a hard thing to explain — an entire day with lots of babies.
If that sounds familiar, you need to read the rest of it. So stop and go read it, but then come right back because I want to tell you about these bagels I made.
Good right? Had to share. Now onto these bagels. These are whole wheat soft pretzels – formed into the shape of a bagel. And you might want to whip up some sweet and fluffy cinnamon sugar cream cheese to go with because it’s a pretty fantastic combination.
These taste every bit as good as you are imagining hot and fresh out of the oven. But I also loved them the next day toasted with a good smear of butter. Something happened to that chewy pretzel coating in the toaster that made me soooo happy.
The interesting thing about how soft pretzels get to be pretzels is that it comes from taking a little bath in boiling water mixed with baking soda. Don’t be intimidated by this step – it’s nothing too complicated and this is what distinguishes a soft pretzel from an ordinary roll.
So now when someone asks you how was your day, tell them you made Whole Wheat Soft Pretzel Bagels and it was a very good day!
PrintWhole Wheat Soft Pretzel Bagels With Cinnamon Sugar Cream Cheese
These Whole Wheat Soft Pretzel Bagels are soft on the inside and chewy on the outside, just like a soft pretzel should be!
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 16 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Whole Wheat Pretzel Bagels
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 10 cups water
- 2/3 cup baking soda
- 1 egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water
- Pretzel or flake salt (optional)
Cinnamon Sugar Cream Cheese
- 8 ounces softened cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
Whole Wheat Pretzel Bagels
- Combine water, sugar and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow the yeast to sit for 5 minutes.
- Add the flours and the butter and mix on low speed with the hook attachment until everything is well combined.
- When the dough has come together, turn speed up to medium and knead with the dough hook for about 5 minutes.
- Remove the dough from the bowl, wash it out, and coat inside of the bowl with vegetable oil.
- Put the dough back into the oiled bowl and cover. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Bring the 10 cups of water and baking soda to a boil in a large pot.
- As you are waiting for the water to boil, divide the dough in half consecutively until you have 16 equally sized pieces. Form piece into a ball, and then stretch the center out until you have a 1-inch hole in the center. Place the formed dough onto 2 Silpat or parchment lined half sheet pans. If you use parchment paper, spray it with nonstick spray as well.
- Place the formed dough into the boiling water one at a time for 30 seconds each. Remove them from the water using a large, flat spatula. Return them to the baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, beat the egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush the top of each bagel with the egg wash. Sprinkle with pretzel salt if desired. I did half of mine without salt because I liked them plain when paired with the sweetened cream cheese.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Transfer to a cooling rack. Tastes best the same day, but also pretty amazing sliced in half and toasted the next day!
Cinnamon Sugar Cream Cheese
- In the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed, whisk together cream cheese, sugar, and cinnamon until fluffy and well combined. Refrigerate until serving.
Notes
Adapted from Alton Brown
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Bagel
- Calories: 213
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 334mg
- Fat: 8.6g
- Saturated Fat: 4.9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.8g
- Trans Fat: 0.1g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 2.1g
- Protein: 5.2g
- Cholesterol: 33mg
This is great! I love the concept of a soft pretzel in bagel form.
Thanks Jen! These were super fun to make.
Beautiful photography, as always. This Pretzel Bagels looks so light, airy and fluffy like it just arrived from a fairy tale! 🙂 thanks Julie.
Thank you!
These bagels look amazing- loving the sound of that cinnamon sugar cream cheese too. Yum! 🙂
Thanks Jessica!
Oh I love the idea of pretzel and bagel! I love bagels and eat them every single day, your bagels looks delicious! 🙂
Michael 😉
http://michaelswoodcraft.wordpress.com/2014/02/08/boiled-peanuts-a-southern-delicacy/
Thank you Michael!
Julie I’ve had this tab open for like a day and a half because I needed to comment but never had a long enough moment to do it!! We are like Huff post article twins. I kid you not, I read this article a few weeks ago, sent it to Eric, and since then we have been rocking it. He comes home and asks me when I felt the most frustrated and the most happy that day, and I ask him what his favorite conversation was that day. Or whatever, just anything besides “How was your day.” I was so excited to read your post! I feel like shouting about this article from the rooftops! I hope my husband and I can keep it up, it has really improved our communication. Love it! Great post!
PS Oh and THESE BAGELS! amaaaazing! I barely even like bagels and you’ve got me craving them something fierce.
Karen, that’s so awesome. I just thought it was so spot on, and had to share!
You make whole wheat bagels look so good! Love your blog and your photos!
Thanks Shiran!
Whoa, these bagels are absolutely gorgeous! You are a genius for turning soft pretzels into bagels. Seriously, so smart. Can’t wait to try it out!!
Thanks Kathi, hope you love them too!
I would love to have these bagels for breakfast! I love the idea of cinnamon sugar cream cheese. Yum!
Hi Tiffany, these bagels were so good, I’m ready to make them again!
HEALTHY-FIED PRETZELS?! YES! YES! I’m drooling all over my laptop! Amazing!
The Cheap Chef
Haha! Sorry about the drool 🙂
When do you add the baking soda?
Oops, nevermind, I found it! Thanks for the recipe! They look amazing.
No problem! Hope you enjoy!
Julie- Wesley and I have been wanting to make these for quite a while……..and are now sitting here devouring them as I type. How beautiful and fluffy. Soft on the inside and a perfect bagely crisp on the outside. We are quickly becoming obsessed with your blog 🙂
This makes me so happy! You guys enjoy!
Hi Julie, I can’t wait to try these out but would it taste just as yummy with regular white flour?
Yes, I think white flour would be good too.
Can I put more whole wheat than white flour? Will the ratio change the texture of the bagel?
I find it works best to alter the ratio of whole wheat and white flour a little at a time and just see what you prefer. I think adding more whole wheat will change the texture, but you might like it just as much. Good luck!
Excelent! But I have a question: 10 cups of water?
Catalina, thank you for your question. If you read the recipe instructions, you will see that the 10 cups of water is not an ingredient for the bagels, but rather what you boil them in before baking. Baking soda and water is what gives the bagels their pretzel exterior. Hope you enjoy!