Bagels

As I am sure it is very obvious, I love cooking bread. I will have a go at any recipe and I came across this one and loved it, luckily so does my husband as he has to eat most of the things I bake.

Makes 12
500g white bread flour
250ml warm water
50ml vegetable oil
20g caster sugar
10g salt
5g dried yeast

egg for glazing
topping/flavour of your choice
(I have tried seeds on top, softened onion in the dough, cinnamon and raisin in the dough, the possibilities are endless really)

• Refresh the yeast if necessary in the water with the sugar.
• Make the dough in your preferred method (bread machine =dough cycle, food mixer = 10 minutes kneading or by hand = 15 minutes kneading) adding any additional ingredients that you want in the dough.
• Leave dough to rise until doubled in size (30 minutes to an hour)
• Degas the dough and divide into 12

• Flatten each piece with your fingers into a rough rectangle.

• Roll tightly into a sausage

• That is about 15cm long

• Dip one end of the dough sausage in water then bring it round to the other end (making a loop) and press the two ends together.

• Leave all the bagels to prove on an oiled surface (baking tray, chopping board I've used a silicone baking mat) and covered until they double in size again.

• Bring a large pot of water to the boil, boil as many bagels in the pot at once that will fit with room for puffing up. Boil each bagel for one minute on each side.
• Once they have been boiled lift them out with a slotted spoon and place on a clean tea towel to drain (paper towels will stick!).

• While you are boiling your bagels pre heat the oven 200 degrees C.
• Place your boiled bagels onto a greased baking tray
• Brush with egg wash and top with seeds if using. 
• Bake for 15 minutes then cool on a wire wrack, the bagels should look golden brown.

My poppy seed bagels went down a treat at our house and a few made it to a friends house, where rumour has they were loved just as much. I really recommend giving this recipe a try, its difficult to do wrong and easy to make great results!

Happy baking

xoxo