Herbed Onion Bagels

Earl Thomas Hensley was born on Wednesday, April 12th, at 3:47 in the afternoon at Baptist Health Lexington, seven pounds eleven ounces, twenty-one inches, with a full head of dark hair and hands already making fists.

Travis called at 2 PM. One word: now. I was making soup beans — turned off the stove and grabbed keys and Connie was already in the truck. Twenty-two minutes to the hospital, eight minutes faster than normal.

They named him Earl Thomas Hensley. Earl, for my father. When Travis told me in the hallway, still in the paper gown, eyes red and voice shaking, I leaned against the wall because my legs weren't working right. My father's name, a gravestone name for fifteen years, is now a living name, attached to a baby with dark hair and fists and the whole world ahead of him.

They put him in my arms. Warm and small and impossibly light, lighter than a cast iron skillet, lighter than anything I've ever held that mattered this much. I looked at his face and saw Travis and Jolene and Earl — my father who went into the mountain — and I said quiet, just to him: you will never go underground. You will see the sky every day of your life. Connie heard it and put her hand on my back.

Called Betty. First ring. I said it's a boy. She said I know, I told you this week. I said they named him Earl. Quiet for a long time. Then crying — only the second time I've heard Betty cry, the first at Earl's funeral. She said that's a good name. She said Earl would be so proud. She hung up. I stood in the hallway and cried because my father is dead and my grandson carries his name and the name is alive again and I don't know how to hold all of it so I just let it fall like rain.

Went home at midnight. Connie and I sat at the kitchen table. She said you're a grandfather. I said I reckon I am. She said how does it feel. I said like everything I've ever done was for the purpose of today, and everything after today is for the purpose of him.

I never did go back and finish those soup beans that night. Came home at midnight, sat at the table with Connie, and left them there on the stove like a bookmark in a chapter I’d stepped out of. The next morning I needed to do something with my hands — something slow, something that required attention — and these herbed onion bagels are what came out of it. Bread has a way of pulling you back into your body when your heart is still somewhere else, and kneading dough in that quiet kitchen, with a boy named Earl Thomas somewhere across town drawing breath, felt exactly right.

Prep Time: 30 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 1 hr 30 min (includes rise time) | Servings: 8 bagels

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups warm water (110°F)
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (one packet)
1 tbsp granulated sugar
3 1/2 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary, crumbled
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp honey (for boiling water)
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
2 tbsp dried minced onion flakes (for topping)

Instructions

Proof the yeast. Combine warm water, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl. Let stand 5–8 minutes until foamy.
Sauté the onion. Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook diced onion 4–5 minutes until soft and just golden. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Mix the dough. Add flour, salt, thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, and sautéed onion to the yeast mixture. Stir until a shaggy dough forms, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
Knead. Knead the dough by hand for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. It should spring back when poked. Form into a ball.
First rise. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean towel, and let rise in a warm spot for 45–60 minutes until doubled in size.
Shape the bagels. Punch dough down and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll each into a ball, then press your thumb through the center and gently stretch the hole to about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place shaped bagels on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Rest. Cover loosely and let rest 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 425°F.
Boil. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add honey. Working in batches, boil bagels 1 minute per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and return to the baking sheet.
Top and bake. Brush boiled bagels with beaten egg and sprinkle with dried onion flakes. Bake 20–25 minutes until deep golden brown. Cool on a wire rack at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Nutrition (per serving)

Herbed Onion Bagels — The Soup Beans Could Wait