Smoked Salmon Bagel Brunch Bar #SundayFunday

April is National Brunch Month and the Sunday Funday bloggers are coming together for a virtual brunch.

Stacy of Food Lust People Love, Rebekah of Making Miracles, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm, and I coordinate this low-stress group; we only participate when we are inspired. This week, here is the line-up of the recipes from the group...

• Canned Smoked Salmon Dip by A Day in the Life on the Farm

• Cinnamon Nut Roll Coffee Cake by Karen's Kitchen Stories

• Resurrection Rolls by Amy's Cooking Adventures

• Smoked Salmon Bagel Brunch Bar by Culinary Cam

• Stuffed Makhani Anda Paratha With Homemade Frankie Masala by Sneha's Recipe

Breakfast + Lunch = Brunch

I am a huge fan of brunch, especially on the weekend. Part of it stems of being the meal I prepare after lounging in bed - usually reading a book - late on a weekend morning; the other part is because, since it leans towards lunch, savories are more popular. And if you follow me regularly you'll know that I always lean savory! But here are some of my favorite brunch items, both sweet and savory...

Click on the title to go to the original post: An Atlas-Style Breakfast at Camilla's Crêperie, A Dope Omelette, and Eggs Florentine.

Smoked Salmon Bagel Brunch Bar

This post was inspired by a gift of cold-smoked salmon from some of our best friends. Mike actually gave me sliced salmon and a block of cream cheese. I decided to make some bagels and quick-pickled onions. Then I added in some fresh chopped dill and capers.

Homemade Bagels

Ingredients, makes 8 bagels

• 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast

• 1 Tablespoon organic granulated sugar

• 1-1/4 cup warm water plus more as needed

• 3-1/4 cups flour plus more for kneading

• 1 teaspoon salt

• Toppings: poppy seeds, za'atar, or whatever you prefer

Procedure

Pour 1/2 cup warm water in a medium mixing bowl. Add in the sugar and the yeast. Let bloom for 5 to 10 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Form a well in the center and pour in the yeast mixture. Add another 1/2 cup warm water to the well also. Use a wooden spoon to combine to form a stiff dough. You may need another 1/4 water if the dough is too stiff.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured countertop. Knead the dough until it is smooth an elastic, approximately 10 minutes.

Oil a large mixing bowl and place the dough inside, rolling it over so that every surface of your ball is covered. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size. Punch the dough down, then let it rest for another 10 minutes.

After the dough has rested for a second time, divide the dough into 8 pieces. I am not usually that precise, but I weighed this batch and each bagel was approximately 100 grams.

Roll the dough into a ball. Press your thumb into the center of each dough ball to form a ring. Gently stretch the ring to about a third of the diameter of the bagel. Place the bagel on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat with all the dough until you have eight bagels.

After shaping the dough let them rest while you bring a large pot of water to a boil and preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Once the water has come to a rolling boil, lower the bagels into the water. Don't crowd them; I usually do four at a time. Boil the bagels for 2 minutes before flipping them over and boiling them for another 2 minutes.

Place them back on the baking sheet and sprinkle them with whatever topping you desire. Put the tray in the oven until the bagels are golden brown, approximately 20 to 25 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

As I mentioned, we topped my homemade bagels with cream cheese, smoked salmon, capers, fresh dill, and pickled onions. I guess I haven't posted my pickled onions process, but you can see all kinds of other pickles in my post: A Parade of Pickles.

And a Bottle of the Callie, a Carbonated Rosé

It's not a weekend brunch at Caffè Camilla without a fun libation. I uncorked a bottle that was inspired by Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm's post for March's #WinePW Celebrating Women in Wine with Delta Airlines. She had written about canned wines; I was only able to find a bottle of the sparkling Rosé.

I had never heard of Une Femme Wines but was excited to learn more. Jen Pelka founded The Riddler, the all-women-funded Champagne bars in San Francisco and New York. Then she co-founded Une Femme in Sonoma, California.

Proceeds from every sale of Une Femme wines are donated to charitable organizations that work towards improving the lives of women. A portion of proceeds from The Betty, the sparkling brut, is donated to Dress for Success, which economically empowers women across the globe; a portion of proceeds from The Callie, the sparkling Rosé, goes to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

The Grenache-based wine poured a pinkish salmon hue with persistent, elegant perlage. On the nose I got aromas of strawberries, pomegranate, and watermelon layered with buttered brioche. On the palate the wine is crisp, dry, and beautifully refreshing.

That's a wrap on my brunch offering for #SundayFunday. The group will be back next week to share a recipe with fish or seafood. Stay tuned!