Easy Gluten-Free Sourdough Bagels with King Arthur Flour

Easy Gluten-Free Sourdough Bagels with King Arthur Flour

Feb 8, 2024

Just three months ago, the idea of waking up early on a Saturday to make gluten-free sourdough bagels for the entire week would have seemed laughable. I am the “to taste” cook in the house, and baking isn’t my forte, especially with gluten-free recipes where precision matters. However, after many kitchen mishaps and encouragement from my husband (who is a really good baker) to actually weigh my ingredients,  I have resolved to embrace the kitchen scale and accuracy.  This has led to our family’s newfound favorite: gluten-free sourdough bagels.

Gluten-free sourdough bagels are surprisingly simple and forgiving, unlike traditional gluten-free bread. They freeze well, making them an ideal grab-and-go breakfast option for hectic mornings.

When it comes to flour, I prefer the King Arthur Gluten-Free Flour blend. However, other measure-for-measure flours can work too, though adjustments in water might be necessary. Initially, I incorporate a base amount of water and fine-tune the consistency during the final kneading, accounting for variations in the density of the sourdough starter.

 

SOURDOUGH STARTER:

Our starter originates from the Cultures for Health Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter and thrives on regular feedings of organic brown rice flour. While you don’t need anything fancy to start a sourdough culture, investing in a fermenting/feeding jar can make the process more enjoyable. Since this bagel recipe calls for a generous amount of starter, I ensure it’s well-fed in the days leading up to baking day.

With these simple steps and a bit of patience, you’ll soon be savoring delicious gluten-free sourdough bagels that rival their wheat-based counterparts.

Easy Gluten-Free Sourdough Bagels with King Arthur Flour

  • AuthorThe Sprouted Life
  • Prep3 hrs, 15 mins
  • Cook30 mins
  • Total3 hrs, 45 mins
  • StyleGluten-free, Sourdough, Baked Goods
  • CuisineAmerican
Servings 16
This is a description of the recipe.

Ingredients

  • 660gramsFiltered water+ 120 grams (reserved for kneading)
  • 45gramsPsyllium husk fiber
  • 40gramsAvocado oil
  • 36gramsOrganic cane sugar - may use honey as a substitute
  • 400gramsGluten-free active sourdough starter
  • 700gramsKing Arthur gluten-free flour blend
  • 12gramsCeltic sea salt
  • Everything but the bagel seasoning - Additional toppings as desired
  • 6 cupsFiltered water- for water bath
  • 1 1/2TbspBaking Soda- for water bath

Method

MAKING THE DOUGH

    • In a large bowl, combine psyllium husk, sugar, avocado oil, and 660 grams of water. Whisk until well combined and let stand for a few minutes until it forms into a gel. Into the gel mixture, add the sourdough starter and mix thoroughly.
    • Add the remaining dry ingredients (flour blend + salt) and stir until a ball starts to form. Use your hands to mix/knead and slowly add in the reserved water until all the flour is incorporated and the dough pulls away from the bowl walls.
    • Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it rise at room temperature for a minimum of 2-3 hours, or overnight for optimal results.
    • Place the risen dough on a silicon or parchment paper surface and gently work it into a large ball.
    • Using a knife, divide the ball in half and create 8 wedges from each section.
    • Roll each section into a ball and pinch a hole in the center of each ball. Slowly spin the dough on your finger to create a uniform bagel shape and center hole. Be mindful not to make the holes too large, as the bagels may crack during baking.

BOILING & BAKING

      • Set the prepared dough aside and preheat your oven to 430 degrees F.
      • In a stockpot, bring 6 cups of water and 1 ½ tablespoons of baking soda to a boil.
      • Drop 3-4 bagels into the boiling water and boil for 30 seconds on each side. Use a skimmer to flip and remove them from the pot. Place the boiled bagels on a tea towel until all the bagels have been boiled.
      • Top each bagel with seasoning of choice or leave plain.
      • Place the bagels on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. You may need to use parchment paper to prevent sticking. (Caraway baking sheets are my favorite and I highly recommend them, because nothing sticks to them).

Recipe Notes

  • Use a digital scale (it really does make a difference)
  • This is a larger batch recipe, you could easily cut it in half and only make 8 bagels
This recipe was originally inspired by a combination of bread recipes with King Arthur gluten free flours and Natashahome.com’s sourdough discard recipe.

Nutritional Information

Based on a standard adult's daily intake.

Mindful Eating 101

Mindful Eating 101

May 18, 2023

Do you ever think about how you eat?

Do you grab just anything on the way to work and eat it in the car?

Do you try to eat while checking emails or working?

I know I am often guilty of this!

If you are not being intentional about how and what you eat, it may be impacting your digestive system. Mindful eating is simply eating with intention and paying attention to your food, including when, what, and how much you eat. Research has shown that mindful eating improves digestion, eating habits, and overall health. It can also have a positive impact on the emotional and psychological aspects of eating.

How Mindless Eating Affects Your Health

Poor Digestion

Thinking about food before eating it actually prepares your mind and body for the first stage of digestion because the brain starts to anticipate the smell and taste of the food, stimulating digestive juices. It also triggers the release of enzymes that will help break down the food. On the other hand, if you eat mindlessly and don’t pay attention to your food, then your brain doesn’t prepare properly. You have actually cheated your brain, and it may lead to poor digestion and weight gain.

Stress 

Eating while working can increase the stress hormone cortisol. This hormone suppresses the production of enzymes, stomach acid, and saliva needed to digest food, resulting in undigested food, lost nutrients, acid reflux, gas, and bloating.

Over-eating

Mindless eating often leads to over-eating. Inhaling food quickly prevents you from noticing your body’s signals that it is full. It can result in poor digestion or even complications with your digestive system, such as inflammatory bowel disease. Our ability to digest food and absorb nutrients is also affected by stress, hormones, gut microbial imbalance, toxins, and food sensitivities.

Mindful Eating 101

Practicing mindful eating is not as intimidating as it sounds, and the more you practice, the more effortless and less of a process it becomes. It does not have to be long and drawn out, but mindful eating should be just that—mindful, intentional, and focused. Here are a few simple ways to start eating more mindfully:

1.    Plan your meals, or at least what you are going to eat for your next snack or meal. Planning ahead gives your mind and body a chance to prepare for and anticipate what you will be consuming. Planning also prevents you from grabbing something unhealthy at the last minute that you will end up scarfing down in a hurry and allows you to set aside enough time to actually enjoy your meal.

2.    Sit down and remove distractions. Whether you are at home, the office, or even a restaurant, make it a point to prepare your place to eat. Sit down at a table or desk and set phones, computers, or work files to the side. This is not the time to check your social media or cram in one more thing on your to-do list; this is your time to fuel and nourish your body.

3.    Eat with intention. Focus on your meal. What are you eating? What are the flavors? If you made it yourself, can you taste the spices you used? What is the texture? Pay attention to how you cut the food. After you take a bite, set down your utensils. Chew for several seconds; don’t gulp. After you swallow, notice any flavors that linger in your mouth. Then, pick up your utensils and prepare another bite.

Food should be fuel for your body and should be something you enjoy. Reflect on your eating habits. If your habits do not reflect this, your eating might require a little more mindfulness.

What Meditation has to do with Gut Health

What Meditation has to do with Gut Health

Dec 27, 2017

When you think of meditation you probably don’t associate it with better digestion and gut health. I know I didn’t until I learned just how much stress influences our gut health and just how powerful meditation is for decreasing stress.

What Evolution Has to do With Healthy Digestion

Issues like leaky gut often come from living a high-stress lifestyle. Most of us are under a lot of stress in today’s world. When you’re feeling anxious or rushed, your body goes into fight or flight. This is a survival mechanism that’s been with us since long before our frontal lobes developed. Back when we had to struggle just to survive, fight or flight was useful, but nowadays we don’t have to fight off predators and run for our lives (at least not often). This response to external stress kicks in anytime something triggers our stress response.

When your body is in fight or flight it isn’t able to direct much energy towards proper digestion. The food we take in when we’re in a hurry, working, or worried just sits in our guts until we’ve calmed down enough to initiate digestion. But a person’s still gotta eat and that’s where things get tricky. If you want healthy digestion, more energy, clear skin and a calm nervous system, meditation is one the answers.

How Meditation Helps Our Digestion

Learning and practicing meditation over time helps to decrease stress and turn off the fight or flight response that many people are all too familiar with. The nervous system and the gut are inextricably linked. Humans were never designed to be stressed out all the time, and when we learn to calm our nervous systems our health improves dramatically.

When you get used to tuning into your breath and releasing stressful negative thought patterns your digestion will improve, you’ll have more energy for fun activities and life will seem a whole lot less overwhelming.

Easy Ways to Incorporate Meditation in your Life
  • Simply taking even 5-10 minutes a day to sit down in a quiet comfortable place and focus on the breath is enough to make a difference.
  • Set aside time each day to do nothing but breathe. Allow any thoughts that arise to drift away without attachment.
  • HeadSpace happens to be one of my favorite apps that you can use to help you easily make meditation a part of your life.

Mediation and deep breathing are just one part of the puzzle.  If you’re seriously interested in getting healthy, restoring your digestion and boosting your energy then check out my comprehensive Restore your Gut & Thrive Program! In the program you get  group and personalized coaching, a ton of delicious satisfying recipes as well as strategies that will help rebuild your intestinal flora. Check it out today!