The GBBO had rainbow bagels this week. I tried my hand, they were my first bagel, ever. While they were nothing to write home about I thought, I need to do more of these.

I couldn’t decide to go fresh or dried so I thought I’d do them side by side. The recipe is identical but the fresh needed more flour to make up for their juiciness.

375 g high gluten flour

5 g instant yeats

15 g sugar

7 g salt

240 or 8 oz lukewarm water

1 cup fresh blueberries or 3.5 oz dried blueberries, soaked 30 minutes in the lukewarm water used for the bagels.

1 teaspoon baking soda for the boiling water.

In a stand mixer combine everything but the baking soda and boiling water. Using a hook, the dough should knead up. 5 minutes. The fresh blueberries needs about a quarter to half cup more flour. It will be a softer dough.

For the dried bloobs, I start with very hot water and soak the berries until the water comes down in temperature.

Turn out onto a floured surface and knead a few more times. Oil the bowl and turn the dough in the oiled bowl. Cover and let rest 60-90 minutes.

Turn out onto the bench. Cut into 8 equal pieces about 100 g each. Roll into a bun. Poke a hole in the middle and stretch the dough from the center. Cover and let rise on bun pan for 30 minutes or until puffy. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a large mouthed pot of water to a boil. Add the baking soda. You can manipulate the dough tenderly now with wet fingers before dropping into the water. Cook 1 minute on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a silpat lined bun pan. You can manipulate the shape now too. Bake 30 minutes or until a thermometer reads 190 degrees.

Cool, toast and eat.

The VERDICT

The fresh blueberry bagels certainly looked poofier and were softer and quicker to rise. But for flavor the dried blueberries beat the fresh by a lot. Should I do these again I may blitz the half the dried blueberries. Or if I’m stuck with only fresh blueberries I’d add a second cup and I’d juice them best I could and use the liquid as part of the overall liquid measure.

I feel like I had a little Test Kitchen going on, which was fun.