Bagels

Recipe by: Norma MacMillan | Photo by: Reader's Digest

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Serves: 12
Yield: 12 Bagels
Ready in: 1 hour 50 mins (1 hour 35 mins Prep - 15 mins Cook)

These little bread rings, Jewish in origin, are delicious teamed with savoury fillings such as smoked salmon and a soft cheese, or egg and salad. The double cooking method – first by briefly poaching in boiling water, then baking – gives bagels their unique soft crumb and slightly chewy crust.

Recipe provided by:

Reader's Digest | Beautiful Baking

Ingredients

450 g (1 lb) strong white (bread) flour
1½ tsp salt
1 sachet easy-blend dried yeast, about 7 g
3 eggs
1 tsp clear honey
2 tsp sunflower oil
200 ml (7 fl oz) tepid water

Preparation method

Put the flour into a large mixing bowl and stir in the salt and yeast. Make a well in the centre.
Lightly whisk 2 of the eggs with the honey and oil, and pour into the well in the flour. Add the water and mix to a soft dough.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a large greased bowl, cover with a damp tea-towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 40 minutes or until doubled in size.
Turn out the dough onto the floured work surface and knead it lightly, then divide it into 12 equal pieces. Form each into a 20 cm (8 in) long sausage, then shape it into a ring. Dampen the ends with a little water, slightly overlap them and gently pinch together to seal.
Arrange the bagels on a lightly oiled baking sheet, cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for 20 minutes or until they are slightly puffy.
Preheat the oven to 200ºC (400ºF, gas mark 6). Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil. Drop the bagels into the water, one at a time, and poach for 20 seconds. Lift out with a large draining spoon and return to the baking sheet.
Lightly beat the remaining egg and brush it over the bagels to glaze. Bake for 14–15 minutes or until well risen and golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. The bagels can be kept in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Each slice provides

selenium * B1, B12

Some more ideas

For cinnamon and raisin bagels, soak 85 g (3 oz) raisins in 3 tbsp orange juice for about 2 hours or until the juice has been absorbed. Make the dough as in the main recipe, but reduce the salt to 1 tsp and add 30 g (1 oz) caster sugar and 1 tsp ground cinnamon with the flour. Mix in the raisins with the water. * For rye bagels, substitute 170 g (6 oz) rye flour for 170 g (6 oz) of the white flour. Stir in 1 tsp caraway seeds with the yeast, and use molasses instead of honey. * The bagels can be finished with a variety of toppings. After brushing them with the egg glaze, sprinkle with sesame, poppy, nigella or caraway seeds, or try sprinkling them with 1 finely chopped small onion tossed in 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil.

Plus points

Enriching the bagel dough with eggs increases the protein, iron and zinc content, as well as adding vitamins A, D and E and some of those in the B group. * Serving the bagels with a vitamin-C rich fruit, or including a vitamin-C rich salad in the bagel filling, will help the body to absorb the iron provided by the bagels.