Meeting Times

• Wednesday 10/8/2025, 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Description

We will start the class with a short discussion about working with yeast. Then, we will make the bagel dough after we "bloom" the yeast. I will come to each station to make sure the yeast has bloomed properly. While the dough takes 45-60 minutes to rise, we will have a bonus class of making a short-cut and delicious recipe for almond croissants. When the bagel dough has risen, we will weigh the dough into equal portions for each student to work with six bagels. I will demonstrate my technique for a good bagel formation and will give individual attention to be sure the technique is learned. Then, the bagels get boiled in water for about six minutes. While the bagels are wet, we will coat them with a sesame and poppy seed combination. Plain bagels are also an option. While the bagels bake for 20 minutes, we will discuss how to make other varieties of bagels, such as jalapeno cheese, onion, or cinnamon-raisin.

Each student will take home the six bagels they made and three large almond croissants! Bags for take home will be provided.

Students are asked to bring an apron, a clean dish towel, and a sponge for cleanup. A pen for writing notes might be helpful. All ingredients and recipes will be provided.

Material Fee: $25 due in exact change the night of class.

BRIEF BIO:

Linda (Weiser) Newman graduated from Branford High School and then moved to California where she stayed 50 plus years. She and her former husband owned a large NY style deli where Linda trained the chefs with her recipes. In later years, Linda owned a dessert business that serviced busy coffee shops and take-out catering for parties.

"Over the years a favorite hobby of mine has been to learn ethnic cooking and baking techniques with friends. For example, I once ate Viennese apple strudel at a friend's parent's home who were from Vienna. I offered to barter cooking lessons to have an afternoon of learning from each other. I now make that strudel easily!"

"My passion is to find quicker and smoother preparation styles without losing any of the quality. Recently, I took a five-page magazine article on how to make a Paris Brest cake (shared by a neighbor) and reduced it to a manageable  index card recipe! I did the same thing to a long Moroccan cake recipe for a gorgeous fresh pear walnut cake!"

It may seem odd to have a Kitchen Aide mixer in the back seat of the car, but not for Linda. "I traveled across country baking in the kitchens of all our friends and family across America. Once, while visiting a friend in the wine country of Northern California, I traveled from the LA area by plane with a full breast of veal in my suitcase! When an announcement came over the speakers in the airport for me to return to security, I had to laugh when I was asked if I had a body in my suitcase. So many rib bones were showing up on the security x-ray screen!!!" It is not unusual for Linda to show up at a friend's door with a pizzelle machine in one hand and a bowl of batter in the other!

Linda and her husband are now retired and living in Branford. She is currently writing her memoir of the adventurous life she lived.