Bagels

These are really very easy to make and are well worth the effort.

Ingredients

one quantity of dough – I use the same dough as I make for sourdough loaves. Click here for instructions
some sesame and poppy seeds (optional)

Start by dividing the dough; each portion should be about 80g. My standard amount of sourdough should make about 12 portions.

Roll each portion into a ’round’.

Now, using your finger, make a hole in the centre.

The hole needs to be a bit larger; so, put your index fingers into the hole (one from each side) and rotate your hands round each other applying gentle pressure to enlarge the hole.

Place the bagels onto oiled baking sheets and leave in a warm place for about 20 minutes.

The bagels now need to be boiled – this gives them the chewy texture. Bring a pan of water to a gentle boil and boil each bagel for one minute – 30 seconds on each side. I boil two at a time.

Remove them from the water and place on a rack.

The bagels will be quite sticky at this point and you can dip them into seeds to create a topping (or you can leave them plain). I used sesame seeds and poppy seeds and sometimes I mix them together.