Warm bagels would tempt anyone I am certain. Not just because they are so delicious but because of the way they go with fillings... cream cheese and smoked salmon? Pastrami, pickles and mustard?
These bagels are exceptionally easy to make, you can rustle them up in a little over an hour and a half and they taste so much better than the store bought ones!
There are two keys to these bagels, in my opinion, the first is the kneading and the second is the seasoning. You do not want to under knead the dough. If you have a stand mixer use it. If not, you will have a few minutes of an arm workout but trust me when I say these are worth it. Actually homemade bread is always worth it! And in regards to the seasoning, you can of course use whatever you prefer or have on hand to sprinkle on top of the bagels, however, the seasoning in this recipe really brings these bagels to life.
Like pretzels, bagels need to be poached in water before baking. This gives them that lovely chewy exterior, however, unlike pretzels you do not need to add anything to the water. I have tried molasses and honey but I did not notice any discernible difference to the taste.
So what makes these bagels better than the store bought ones? Well, as I said, they do have that lovely chew on the outside, they are beautifully moist and soft when you bite into them and they remain that way for several days if stored in a suitable container. There is nothing dry or rubbery about these and they are perfect for sandwiches or for toasting.
My recipe calls for yogurt or kefir and I think that this just adds a lovely soft texture to the finished bagel. I tend to use kefir as I always have a fresh batch of it in the fridge but yogurt is just as good.
Homemade Bagels
Ingredients:
500g strong white flour
200ml warm water
7g dried yeast
30ml of oil (light olive or vegetable)
1 egg separated
10g salt
1tbs honey
50g plain kefir or plain yogurt
Seasoning:
2tsp black sesame seeds
2tsp white sesame seeds
1tsp salt
1tsp garlic powder
2tsp onion powder
Method:
Weigh the flour, yeast, salt, oil, honey, egg white and kefir or yogurt into a large mixing bowl or if using, the stand mixer bowl.
Add in the warm water and mix until combined.
Knead for 8 to 10 minutes by machine and 10 to 12 minutes by hand until a smooth stretchy dough is formed.
Cover the bowl and leave in a warm place for an hour or until the dough almost doubles in volume.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 8 equal pieces.
Roll each piece into smooth round balls and using your fingers and thumb pinch the middle of each one, widening it evenly until you have a good hole in the centre.
Cover the bagels and leave to rest while you bring a large pan of water to the boil.
Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a large baking sheet.
Mix together the seasoning ingredients and set aside.
Carefully place a couple of the bagels into the boiling water and poach for 1 minute.
Using a slotted spoon, gently turn the bagels and poach for a further minute.
Take out of the water and place on the baking sheet. Repeat this with the remaining bagels.
Brush each bagel liberally with the egg yoke (beaten with a teaspoon of water) and give each one a good sprinkle of the seasoning mix.
Bake for 20-25minutes and cool on a rack.
