Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Easy Goat’s Cheesecake (Low-Sugar) – Cacao and Protein

Goat’s cheesecake is one that’s so easy to make! And you win body points with a more gut healthy cheesecake, using goat cheese. Oh, plus the healthy probiotic piped topping. See the full notes and recipe below…

…And I’d be remiss if I didn’t share the skinny on the healthy ingredients that make a healthy cheesecake difference.

…That’ll benefit your body and also help you be happy, feeding healthy vibes to your gut (where most happy hormones are made) and mouth (stirring up glee). 😋

With this cheesecake recipe, it starts with the ingredient choice of chevre or goat cheese, that’s higher in protein, calcium, and lower calories (about 25% less than regular cream cheese). Plus, healthy prebiotic notes as fermented cheese.

Despite a French name, chèvre is not to be confused with cheval that means horse in French. 🐐 Fun fact: Horses make milk too. 🐎

And goat cheese has a texture closer to cream cheese so it works great in a cheesecake.

Its calories and fat content is more like a Neufchâtel cheese, a reduced cream cheese, which is what I used to use for cheesecakes before I knew better. It’s French named after the town it comes from in Normandy…

But today, we have other available healthier options, like goat cheese…

And the Mediterranean region was one area of the world that put healthier (the real-deal) prebiotic goat cheese on the map 🗺️ straight from the farms, while cow’s cheese is still what dominates cheeses.

And we benefit with the arrival of goat cheese makers. Montchèvre is one organic brand made in the USA. Specific to Wisconsin, that’s also home to the Cheese Heads (America’s Dairyland).

Montchevre is the organic goat cheese used in this cheesecake recipe. It looks like a packaged small cheese log.

You can find it in many grocery stores that has a premium or specialty cheese section, like Harris Teeter or Trader Joe’s. So it’s easier to source.

…And even easier to find is a thick Greek yogurt for additional healthy probiotics (gut health), protein and B12 vitamins (good for energy), to name a few healthy body benefits.

All for the sake of being healthy (that’s a good cause)… and a tasty, nice textured smooth cheesecake.

Sheep’s cheese is another type of healthy protein cheese, like goat cheese, that is growing in common availability, thanks to places like Sardinia, Italy. The rural green pastures are known for the rustic and healthy cheese tradition.

And for cheesecakes, you can also make a delicious, high protein Basque-style sheep’s cheesecake. Keep in mind: sheep’s cheese 🐑 is generally more firm than goat’s cheese 🐐, so the sheep’s way makes a better rustic cheesecake shape.

But with Montchevre goat cheese in this recipe, you should get a smooth batter like mousse that makes a rounder shape. And this means you can use one piece of baking paper effectively (instead of cutting scrapbook strips like I did with sheep’s cheese in a cheesecake).

💡An idea for if you don’t have baking paper: if you use a small half-size 4″ springform pan where the cake pan sides pop off, then you can use one cupcake paper holder and it will fit perfectly at the bottom.🧁Flatten it out and that can be the baking paper you use.

And then to complete the goat’s cheesecake batter to pour into the cake pan:

Bring in the egg yolk that helps the structure in the recipe, and will add more protein/B12 healthy notes. But instead of probiotics (like in yogurt), it’s prebiotic to feed the healthy bacteria probiotics.

And for some FUN batter flavor variety, you can add easy flavors to your goat’s cheesecake like chocolate (via cacao powder).

…Or cherries and chocolate for a delightful pairing. That’s where the HAPPY dials up for me, but your flavors are up to you. You can also add in chocolate chip morsel bits for a little added crunch.

Then when you’re good with your batter in your pan, bake your cheesecake in the oven. It’s a timed event (and not one where you have to keep checking the oven).

After it’s well-baked, the goat’s cheesecake should come out of the cake pan pretty easily in one cake piece, after it’s cooled. The sides will shrink a little to help that effort, because a cheesecake usually sticks to the sides.

Tip: I have tested butter and oil directly on the bottom and sides of the pan before, and nothing seems to have worked better than baking paper and oil. Since this will be a smoother, less dense, and almost pudding-like batter you pour into the circle pan, you can use one piece of baking paper instead of little strips and pieces, and the shape of the cheese cake will remain close to a circle (without weird geometric angles for a rustic look).

And then for the final zhugh and topping (fun), I saved the best for last… where it’s thick Greek yogurt again!

Pipe away guilt-free. 💕 And add coconut oil melted chocolate on to your adult delight.

This chocolate cheesecake won’t last!

Easy Goat's Cheesecake - Protein and Low-Sugar Cacao Healthy

This will make a 4" size cheesecake about 2" high. Double the ingredient amounts for an 8" cake pan.

Course Breakfast, brunch, Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 55

Total Time 1

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Equipment

springform or cake pan
baking paper

Ingredients

3/4 cup Greek yogurt, thicker portions (2% or higher/reduced fat milk)
1/4 cup chevre goat cheese
1 large egg yolk
1 Tbsp cacao, unsweetened or cocoa powder (for chocolate cheesecake)
1 Tbsp cherries, halves (optional)
1-2 tsp mini chocolate chips (optional)
1 Tbsp additional Greek yogurt (for piping on top)
1 Tbsp melted chocolate (optional)

Instructions

Make the cheesecake batter: combine goat cheese, yogurt, and egg yolk ingredients in a bowl. Add in any flavors like cacao powder.
Coat neutral oil to the bottom and sides of a springform pan. Add a rectangular cut piece of baking paper to the middle. Two opposing sides should reach the top. Tip: if you don't have baking paper, an easy trick is you can use paper cupcake holders. Flatten out and add to the bottom of your springform cake pan.
Pour-spoon cheesecake batter to the pan.
Bake at 350°F/180°C in the bottom oven rack for 55-60 minutes. The cheesecake sides should be a little darker and slightly pull away from the pan that will help you to pull out of the pan.
Let the cheesecake fully cool (and firm up) before removing from pan.
Pipe Greek yogurt and melted chocolate if desired. Rounded star tips work best to make a "diner whipped cream" topping look.

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Sunrise Alarm Clock For Your Circadian Rhythm Health

Sunrise alarm clock is a natural body alarm that can help reset your circadian rhythm. Your best bet is to find a bedroom that has an eastern facing window with natural sunlight coming in. It’s that simple. 🌅

But not always easy, as your room may not be located in that ideal spot. And to change that could mean having to move rooms or move houses entirely.

I’m not suggesting that you do, and I have a few recommendations below if you can’t get the bedroom sunrise view today.

Especially when colder weather rolls around and you don’t feel like getting up early. And a little morning glow could help… both outside and inside you!

Then with warmer weather when the clocks spring forward, it gets a little easier with a March pep in your step from more natural Vitamin D sunshine. That helps us become more daily active in our outdoor activities, gardening, or exercising

And getting outside more is a good start to get a healthy dose of absorbable Vitamin-D (the happy sunshine pill). 💊

Because happiness affects your energy (mood and having more energy) and vice versa.

This can help with getting more quality sleep.

…Where your sleep shouldn’t be completely season and weather dependent. It can be reset with your 24-hour internal clock (circadian rhythm).

And if circadian rhythm is affecting your happiness, then this is one of the first few changes you should aim to make.

Start with your local surroundings. Where do you spend most your time in the day? At night?

Earlier on in my years, I liked to sleep in and stay up late like a night owl. I used to be such a sleepy head. It took me a long time to wake up.🦉

These days, I think I’ve gotten in a better sleeping-waking up cycle because of natural circadian rhythm (another cycle) resets.

That (re)set comes from natural sunrise sunlight.

And is dependent on my bedroom situations (more than months or seasons).

…Where non-east facing bedroom windows encourage sleeping-in later.

I know this from my own experiences waking up in 5 different sunlight exposure environments within a recent 7-year time span. That was a good, eye-opening test.

…Where, in each bedroom, the windows had horizontal window blinds, but different window sizes. And some had more than one window.

But the biggest factor was the different sunlight exposures based on compass directions: north, south, east, or west.

I still find that tool fascinating. It used to be a separate device you could carry around like a compact mirror, and now it’s on some of our devices 🧭

It works whether there’s a window or not.

And the first place I was in had a windowless bedroom in the middle of the apartment. The bedroom had a pocket sliding door and outside that door is where some light naturally flowed in. I slept like a baby, but the dark light never promoted early mornings.

I always had a blaring alarm to wake me up then, and I never felt well-slept. I would have never considered counting on myself to get up or my natural body alarm clock to wake me up.

Waking up at sunrise would’ve been nearly impossible, and many hours away from the time I actually got up. That’s when I started drinking cups of coffee regularly for the first time in my adult life.

In the second place I moved to, the bedroom had northwestern exposure and more than one window. So it was neutral morning bright and I woke up at my then-regular 8 am or so time, in-time to arrive for a 9-5 job that was within a 5-minute commute.

Then in the third bedroom place, it was northeastern exposure and there was a very big square window like the kind you find in hotels. It was so bright in the morning with mirroring windows across the way, that I quickly added dark blue drapes. Because sleeping past sunrise would have been difficult without an eye mask or sunglasses. 🕶️

Those were tough remote working years in that city view, and I had no reason to get up at sunrise as my window was concrete view blocked.

Then in the fourth bedroom situation, the regular-sized window was full-on western exposure with the most beautiful purple and orange sunsets. It was a daily show. But no sunrise view anywhere I could see in any room.

…So there I found myself slipping into a pattern of sleeping-in later and later, as I went to sleep later and later.

And that brings me to today, where my bedroom is directly facing the east. The complete opposite to the previous situation where I always felt tired, even though I loved the sunsets and staying up late.

The flip was intentional. My last moves were not so intentional as I was not as choosy and didn’t realize the affects of sunlight and the circadian rhythm-sleep connection until I lived out my real life scenarios.

Today I naturally wake up to my body’s alarm clock thanks to my circadian rhythm reset.

With big window paned doors on the sunrise side and some shielding trees, I can fully look out at the morning sun. He-llo00 sunshine!

In this natural sunrise alarm clock lifestyle, I have the blinds slightly cracked open and they wake me up naturally. I don’t need an artificial alarm clock to wake me up.

I naturally wake up at sunrise but don’t get up until the 7 o’clock hour every day.

…That’s not sunrise alarm clock time, but much earlier than when I used to get up. And if I wanted to catch an eventful sunrise glow, I could and am well-rested. 🌄

Today is much more healthy, getting 7-8 quality hours of sleep per night. It’s no longer a guilt sentence to get adequate sleep. It’s a healthy move vs. being lazy.

It’s the opposite than when I started adult life.

We’re wiser now as sleep = longevity.

And if you’re not getting enough sleep, like less than 7 hours a night, you’re hurting your health that can show up in many ways.

…It’s not just about moods and cranky irritability. Less sleep can also add to weight gain and aging faster.

For young people, their brains are still developing, so they especially need more sleep. And adults can get more quality sleep with a few habits…

First thing, get sun in your eyes in the AM. This habit over days and weeks will help reset your natural circadian rhythm in your body.

Look at early morning light through a window when you take sips of your warm beverage. And wake up the same time every day no matter what time you go to sleep.

And if you’re like me that likes to look at devices or watch shows late at night, wear good blue blocking glasses. There are different quality glasses, so it pays to do some research as you only get one set of eyes.

…It’s a good habit to wear blocking glasses even for your smaller phones. It will make a big difference to your eyes and sleep health.

And lastly, if you don’t have eastern facing light in your bedroom, you can purchase and set blue lights or a sunrise alarm clock to turn on in the morning.

When I was younger, we had timers that would turn the regular artificial lights on when we were away.

The early bird still catches the warm. And you can get more done, exercise (that could be a new concept!) or read a little more of your book if you wake up a few minutes (or hours) earlier.

You may even surprise yourself as you inch your way closer to waking up at sunrise as your new alarm clock.

Natural Sunrise Alarm Clock Habits

How to reset your circadian rhythm and wake up earlier or catch sunrise naturally.

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Instructions

Face your bed beside eastern exposure windows.
Wake up same time daily.
Look out at the sun in the early AM with bare eyes.
Wear blue blocking glasses at night looking at devices.
Get outside more during the day for healthy sunshine-making Vitamin D (that helps regulate melatonin production).

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Blueberry Muffin – (Low-Sugar) One-Bowl Easy in 30 Minutes

Blueberry muffin is one of my favorite breakfast morning starts. I remember when I was a tween who made blueberry muffins from a box and they were a hit. It’s hard to mess up a mix! Blueberries in a can came in the mix and I remember enjoying draining them as part of the experience.

Little did I know that a blueberry muffin is so simple to make with a few ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen pantry! This wild blueberry muffin recipe is a delicious, low-sugar and healthy-ingredient one. I think you’ll go wild over it if you give it a try! 🫐

With flour, milk, and blueberries, you can bake muffins. And below I tell you how to get the most out of what you have in your kitchen or pantry already, and use healthier ingredients than what you find in a mix/box.

Of course… organic wild blueberries are the super star anti-inflammatory healthy ingredient. Frozen blueberries work great and also go well with a blueberry smoothie with peachy cheesecake tastes.

For the muffins, to improve the muffin texture, an egg yolk and rising agent (baking powder and baking soda) with do the trick. A box of baking soda is usually in your fridge already to prevent odors.

Then add in a little lemon juice or vinegar to activate. And if you don’t have those ingredients, you can also add honey. Yes, honey! Or maple syrup that’s in this recipe for sweetness (to go with the blueberry muffin morning theme). How sweet! 💕

And if you don’t have milk available, you can make your own oat milk from oatmeal or nut milk from nuts and even a pecan latte to go with your blueberry muffin in the process. So you don’t have to keep shelf-stable milks in your home anymore. And coconut milk too is an option on the table!

How nuts… that milking (a plant) is so easy with ingredients you may already have at home! 🥛

Oh, and this easy blueberry muffin recipe starting from the time you gather home ingredients, combine, and bake in your oven… all-in, is 30 minutes!

Ready for your blueberry morning? You may also like to add a blueberry cobbler (made with applesauce), buckwheat blueberry scone, and/or a blueberry muffin with chocolate chips and Greek yogurt.

Blueberry muffin made easy and delicious.

Low-Sugar Blueberry Muffin - 30-Minutes and One-Bowl Easy

This is a healthy low-sugar breakfast staple that can be made from wholesome ingredients. This recipe makes 2 muffins.

Course Breakfast, brunch

Cuisine American

Total Time 30

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Equipment

muffin or cupcake tin

Ingredients

1/4 cup blueberries (organic and wild suggested)
3/4 cup almond flour (or gluten free flour of choice)
6 Tbsp whole wheat flour (or all purpose flour)
1/2 cup milk of choice
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp neutral oil (light olive oil or coconut oil)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1 tsp maple syrup (or raw honey)
pinch of salt

Instructions

Prepare your muffin tin. You can use cupcake holders or use baking spray so they don't stick.
Combine the dry and wet ingredients in one bowl. The batter will be wet and thick and pour-spoon-able.
Spoon batter into cupcake tin or holders.
Bake at 350°F/180°C for 20-25 minutes.
Let cool and enjoy!

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How to Pack For Hiking So You’re Happy

How to pack for hiking so you’re happy on your trails is easy when you have a list. Below is everything you need to prepare for your happy (no worry) day hikes that can be full of nature surprises on new trail adventures…

…Like a trail full of rocks.

Tip #1: bring a plastic water bottle, as in one you don’t mind losing. I left one behind when I tripped over a tree root or small rock.

With nature’s course, you can’t predict what you’ll run into (literally!).

And instead of back tracking, you can keep trekking if you lose your bottle or anything else replaceable.

So around the mountain loop, I happily kept going. And as the weather changed which is par for the nature course.

Happy hiking is all about knowing that you’re self-contained and intact, so you have nothing to worry about when you start your adventure.

…Where you’re foolproof and light.

…And wearing comfortable gear.

When you’re back packed with the lightest of items, you’re free to swing your arms, and enjoy nature and your sport the most.

So a front fanny pack for your things is not what I’d recommend.

Because what happens is your weight is distributed to your front that makes you hunch over if you carry everything in there (like a water bottle). And that’s not good for long and distance hikes, over your body long-run.

A cross-over wallet bag is better to distribute weight or to carry your keys and light items.

Plus a backpack, or just a backpack (if you have pockets on you). It’s built-in reversible, as you can always wear the back on the front.

And some have side water bottle holders, so you don’t have to go inside the bag to take a sip of water.

One good tip is you don’t want to fill up your day backpack.

You want to leave room for any layers of clothing you take off and so you can move around without extra bulk and weight.

Sometimes you have to duck fallen branches and jump creeks. 🪾

Find a backpack with at least a couple zippered pockets. See below the how to pack for hiking checklist and what to pack in the backpack. A waterproof backpack is good for spills, but not a must. One that suits your personal needs is better.

And zippers are key as I tested tying a ribbon to a bungee cord on me, and it came off without my knowing. Imagine if that were something important (and not just a tying ribbon).

Even bright color, you may never see it again in nature. So count on easy fasteners and zippers.

Zippers don’t take up much space and are good on clothing items too.

You should wear at least one long sleeve top for changes in weather, but also to stay covered. Not just from mosquitoes…

Reminder: There are ticks in nature and if you wear short sleeves and shorts, you’ve been warned. It’s not uncommon. You probably know a person or two who had been bit and paid a health consequence. Don’t be that person.

Also, you could brush up against some twigs that clothing and long sleeves protect you against.

How to pack for hiking clothing:

Minimum: long sleeve top(s), pants, socks, and hiking shoes (grips on soles are especially helpful for mud). Wearing several light layers including workout-type wear allows you to take off clothing as the daily temps change.

It goes from colder weather before noon to the warmest part of the day.

Finding cool-warm alternatives like high wool socks, light cotton pants and thin breathable cotton shirts. Cotton and breathable materials can be harder to find vs. polyester blend of sorts, but you can find if you research and look around.

Another Tip: always look at materials in a fabric before buying. I do this, just like I look at all the ingredients in food. 😊 Don’t be captivated by the marketing big bold words, as it’s sometimes very different than the fine print.

Some have minuscule label tags that need-a-magnifying-glass to read. And if that’s not easy, ask someone or teach your kids to do that and to tell you what they see when shopping (or take a photo and blow it up).

When it’s colder out, pack or wear a down jacket, hoodie, or outdoor vest. The puffery can be compacted into a small bag (or you can tie around your waist). Also wear on you, gloves and scarf that are easy to zipper up or tie somewhere.

It’s windier in the mountains than outside your home. So it’s wise to have a weather expected-appropriate head covering besides a ball cap. That could include a winter cap (under 50°F/10°C) and/or a bandana for warmer (85°F/ 30°C weather).

And wear UV-protected sunglasses, and bring along a pair of UV-regular non-tinted glasses if you need them (for when the sun isn’t out). Hiking trails are often more shaded.

And always wear some sunscreen even if it’s cloudy or winter sun.

And for equipment, along with your tracking miles apps, bring your phone. If you ever need help, you can turn on your phone in airplane mode and use the SOS feature. And if you run out of phone charge or the phone doesn’t work in the mountains, think about what would be smart to pack on you. Think like a 5th grader: remember what you learned in school and science class about freezing is below 32°F/0°C.

…Or you learned about how a mirror reflects light. With a mirror and the sun you can create smoke and light. And if nobody told you before, the sun sets in the west and rises in the east, so you can figure out what direction you’re heading in on a sunny day without your working devices. Your brain is your sharpest tool.😊

Along those lines of emergencies, carry some form of printed ID on you even if it’s out of date. Keep those with your necessary keys, if applicable in a zippered pocket on your clothing body. You never know if you can get separated from your back pack. I was a catering planner and we always learned to plan for the unexpected.

And then after you’re packed, you’re all set!

In your backpack, here’s how to pack for hiking (for your foolproof day hikes):

-face and body sunscreen/lip sunscreen (30 or higher)

-water bottle or two

-ball cap for warm weather or winter head covering

-plastic bag (you never know when it will come in handy!)

-paper towel

-small cloth towel

-moisturizer/hand lotion/aloe in a ziplock bag

-hand and body wipes

-snack (nuts, whole fruit, dried fruit, and bars make good energy snacks). Whole fruit is good for hydration and for not having to take a sip of water.

-anything you need in case of an emergency (medicine, extra socks, etc.). Emergency is anything that you personally sensitive to! If you’re someone who gets low blood sugar easily, bring a sweet snack like chocolate or no-bake Rocky Road energy bar if it’s cool outside.

And with this how to pack for hiking printable list, you’re all set…

Happy trails! 🥾

How to Pack A Back Pack For Day Hiking

This is how to pack for day hiking, whether it's warm or cold out because the temperature will probably be both in the same day.

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

1 face and body sunscreen/lip sunscreen (30 or higher)
1-2 disposable water bottles
1 ball cap for warm weather and scarf, or winter head covering (check weather the day before)
1-2 plastic bags (you never know when it will come in handy!)
1-2 paper towels
1 small fabric hand towel
1 moisturizer/hand lotion/aloe in a ziplock bag (in heat items expand)
1 face and body wipes (for hands too!)
protein and healthy-easy snacks (nuts, whole fruit, dried fruit, and bars make good energy snacks). Whole fruit is good for hydration and not having to take a sip of water.
anything you need for an emergency (medicine, phone, etc.)

Instructions

Before your hiking day, check the expiration of your sunscreen and replace anything old.
Pack the day before so you can grab your backpack and go.That way you can ensure no key zippers or anything unexpected needs repair or replacement. This applies to your clothing too.
Check the weather the day before. If it's predicted to be below 50 degrees at any point of the hiking day, pack and dress in layers like it will be cooler.

Notes

Wear layers of clothing that include a long sleeve, workout wear that's light, pants, long wool or compression socks, and hiking appropriate close-toed shoes (with sole grooves helps grip muddy treks).

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Sourdough Bagel – with Healthy Matcha

Sourdough bagel made with matcha is hard to match-ah when it comes to the healthy matcha marble effect you can swirl in. Someone already took an irresistible bite out of this one, backside up.

In this bagel recipe, you’ll not need to cut around a bagel. This bagel comes already halved out of the oven. The benefit is you don’t have to do extra slicing work. 🥯

..AND you can make the topping side toasty brown and crunchy if that’s what you like. That’s what I’m talkin’ about! 😋 But for a softer side, bake about 5 minutes less than the recipe time calls for.

To make this sourdough bagel, you probably have all the ingredients you already need in your kitchen pantry.

If you have flour, you can make this!

Since it’s made from sourdough, you won’t even need dry yeast. Time and air will do the heavy (sour bread dough) lifting.

…That results in light and airy pockets inside the bagel bread. And sourdough is more digestible than regular bread or store-bought that can have sugar, so you’ll possibly feel better (and lighter).

And with this recipe, you may never go back to store-bought processed bagels 🥯

While warm and fresh, after baked, the sourdough bagel is best eaten same day, 2-3 days after, or you can freeze them.

But straight from the oven when it’s piping hot, and ready is delightful!

To make the sourdough bagel:

Knead the dough as you would (instruction in recipe below).

Then let the sourdough proof (and turn sour) in room temperature for 2-3 days.

(In case you’re wondering about the step order.)

And after sourdough proofed (see the sourdough bubbles), as you shape your dough for your baking, you can add in (lightly knead in) your matcha powder just before it goes in the oven.

Matcha Sourdough Bagel Heathy Points

Matcha is a green tea and you can find it in powder form along with other tea types, these days. It has healthy ECGC, an antioxidant. And an amino acid that’s known for calming anxiety and stress. That also naturally supports sharpening your cognitive abilities like mind focus. Who couldn’t use more of that, some days (or daily)?

Also your sourdough comes with a lower GI (as in glycemic index that most breads are higher in). Basically, sourdough is more of an anti-inflammatory bread food vs. processed white bread.

Then after baked, when you pile on lean protein and healthy fat ingredients like wild salmon lox (with Omega 3s for more anti-inflammatory goodness), you’re actually getting a healthy meal and not just mostly high carb calories… that’s not ideally what your body wants to start with in the morning.

And maybe also add fermented cabbage or an avocado (source of macronutrient) that are other types of greens that pair well with matcha and savory meals. And maybe an avocado smoothie to break a fast?

This sourdough bagel is hard to match-ah!

Matcha Sourdough Bagel

Use one cup of flour per regular size bagel (with two halfs).

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Equipment

Baking pan
Silpat silicone baking sheet
container with a top or cover

Ingredients

1 cup bread flour
1/2 cup water
1 tsp coarse salt
1 Tbsp matcha powder
1/4 tsp olive oil (optional)
poppy seed (optional)

Instructions

Make the bagel dough: Add flour to bowl with water and salt. Start with 1/4 cup of water and add enough water for the dough to all come together and is slightly sticky (but not soaking with water). Knead the dough for about 7-9 minutes by mixer machine (or by hand) and form a small dough disc (shape won't matter as your dough will expand and spread in your container).
Proof (and sourdough) the dough: Add dough to a container with a lid or cover with plastic wrap. You can drizzle olive oil at the bottom of the container if you like for flavor (optional). Leave out for 2-3 days in a shaded/cool room temperature kitchen spot. If you want to speed up sourdough, bring out to a warmer room temperature spot. You will know it's ready when you see dough bubbles and the dough has a fragrant aroma (not too sour). If it gets too sour for your liking, put in the refrigerator for a few hours and it will calm down. When you add bench flour also, it will do the same.
Shape the bagels: "Pour" and scrape out the sticky-ish dough all-in-one from the container onto the baking pan. Roll in a little bench flour (like bread or semolina flour). Split into two long bread dough strands. Add dashes of random matcha powder to create a marble effect. Optional (for rolls): you can pour (onto baking pan) in one layer into a rectangle shape for a bread loaf you can cut up.
Tip: For a traditional bagel round ring shape with a hollow middle: pour the sourdough around a small circular object -- (like a smooth small oven-safe cup or metal piping tip) and onto a Silpat lined baking sheet pan that will leave a hole (in the ring center) -- until the dough ends meet. Make 2 bagel half shapes. Add poppy seeds on tops, or any flavor adds you want to make.
Bake at 350°F/180°C about 35-45 minutes or until edges and bottom are golden brown and depending on the "toast" type/soft vs hard bagel you like. Let cool and remove the circular object. Tip: Between the grip of the thumb and forefinger on one hand, shake the object back and forth until it loosens and then push through to loosen.

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