Bagels
Soft chewy bread within crisp crust and toasted sesame seeds – just made for smoked salmon.
Ingredients:
8 fluid ounces (230g) Milk and water mixed
2 teaspoons (7g) dried fast action yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted or cubed
1 egg white, whisked to frothy
1lb (450g) strong white bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
Sesame, poppy or other seeds for topping
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda for poaching
Method:
Place all the ingredients (except the bicarbonate of soda and sesame seeds) in a bread maker to produce the dough.
Alternatively, place the flour in a large bowl with the sugar, make a well in the middle and pour in the milk/water, the yeast, butter and egg white. Sprinkle the salt on the flour around the edge of the bowl. Mix the ingredients together to form the dough and knead for 10 minutes. Return to the bowl, cover with lightly oiled plastic bag and allow to rise for an hour until doubled in size.
When the dough has risen, knock back and divide in to even sized pieces (about 100 grams/4oz).
If using the conical moulds, ensure that they are lightly oiled. Roll the dough in to a ball and press down on the point of the cone until it reaches the base. If making by hand, roll the dough in to a sausage about 6 inches long with tapering ends – firmly pinch the ends together to form a ring using a little cold water if needed.
Set aside to rise again for 45-60 minutes.
Heat the oven.
Place the bicarbonate of soda in a pan at least half full of water (so that the bagels will be covered) and bring to the boil.
Gently place each bagel in the simmering water for 30 seconds, remove and drain.
Brush top of bagels with egg yolk or a little water and sprinkle with seeds.
Place bagels on a baking sheet and cook at Gas 5 (375f/190c) for 15 minutes then turn over for a further 5 minutes until golden brown.
My Tips:
The silicon cones are good when poaching the bagels but less successful during cooking so we slid the bagels off the cones and cooked on a baking tray.
To steam rather than poaching, place a wire rack over a pan of boiling water. Place two or three bagels on the rack and cover with a lid made of foil – steam for a minute then cook on a baking tray in the oven.
Perfect for your comic relief (or any other) bake sale!