Bagels

Ingredients

500g strong white bread flour, plus a little extra for kneading
320ml warm water
7g instant yeast
7g salt
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp molasses
Sunflower or olive oil, for greasing the bowl

For the topping:

• poppy or sesame seeds
• optional: sea salt crystals
• optional: dried onion flakes
• optional: dried garlic flakes

Method

Mixing

Place the flour in a mixing bowl, add the yeast on one side and the sugar and salt on the other side.
Add three quarters of the warm water and mix with your fingers.
A little at a time, add the remaining water until all the flour is no longer dry.
You should have a rough dough. All the water does not have to be used.
If you have added too much water, add some more flour.

Tip the dough on to a lightly floured board. Knead for 5 to 10 minutes until you have a soft, smooth dough.
Or just use the bread hook on the mixer.
Use the oil to lightly grease a bowl.
Put the dough in the bowl, cover the bowl with cling film and leave it on a window sill.
It should take from 1 to 3 hours to double in size.

Put baking paper at the bottom of two trays.
Divide the dough into 10 equally sized pieces.
Mix in any of the optional toppings.
Roll each piece of dough into a ball.
Poke a hole through the centre of the ball and slowly stretch the hole wider.
Place on the trays, leaving space around each ring.
Cover with a tea towel and let them stand for roughly 30 minutes.

Cooking

Preheat the oven to 200c or 180c if it has a fan.

Boil water in a saucepan.
Add the molasses and bicarbonate of soda to the water.

Drop the dough ring into boiling water.
Let it cook for 30 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to turn it over and leave it in for another 30 seconds.
The dough ring should expand.
Use the slotted spoon to remove the dough ring and place it back on the tray.

Sprinkle the toppings onto the top of the dough ring.
Press them in lightly with the spoon.
Put the trays into the preheated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
The bagels should be golden brown.
Remove the bagels from the oven and using tongs transfer them to a wire rack to cool.

Serving

When cooled, but still warm, slice a bagel horizontally in half, butter it and serve.

Storage

Bagels can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Once they are fully cooled, put them in a plastic bag, squeeze out the air and freeze.

If you are going to toast them later, slice the bagel horizontally in half before freezing.