Bagels

Basic bagel recipe. It will take about 2½ hours total and makes 12 bagels.

Ingredients

• 1kg very strong flour (~14g protein per 100g flour), you can substitute up to 200g with wholemeal flour
• 2 tsp instant dry yeast
• 480ml warm water (40℃±2℃)
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp diastatic malt flour
• 1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda

Method

1. Mix the yeast, diastatic malt flour and water. Leave to rest for 5 minutes.

2. Combine the flour and salt in a stand mixer then add the liquid. Knead using the dough hook for 20 minutes, until the dough passes the windowpane test.

3. Remove the dough hook, cover the bowl and leave it to prove for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

4. Knock back the dough and divide it into 12.

5. Shape the bagels, rolling them out is best.

6. Leave the bagels to prove for a further 15 minutes on a silicone mat, dust with semolina flour and cover gently with cling film.

7. Preheat the oven to 220℃.

8. Bring a large pan of water mixed with the bicarbonate of soda to a rolling boil.

9. In batches, boil the bagels for 30 seconds each side, then place on a baking tray.

10. (Optional) Coat in your desired bagel topping, probably with everything bagel seasoning!

11. Bake for 20 minutes, placing bagels with toppings at the bottom of the oven to stop the toppings from burning.

12. Eat more bagels than expected over the next couple of days.