Bagels

Servings

8 large

Prep

1 hr 40 min

Cook

20 min

If you watch the series Community, you would know who Britta Perry is. In Season 1 Episode 17: Physical Education, Britta gets mocked by her friends for mispronouncing bagel as bag-el. Though this episode was released in 2009, it was only in 2013 when I watched it again…and hearing the word bagel got me thinking more of it. At the same time, I was working in a Café/Bakery that sold bagels. I never ate the bagels sold at that Café, because their hygiene was horrible, and they used expired ingredients. On top of it, the owner was in debt and on the verge of bankruptcy that she did not have the money to even pay me. I stayed for a month, barely eating anything there during my break time. Thankfully, the Café has been shut down (due to bankruptcy) and I got my salary after waiting for nearly half a year which was only possible because of strict labor rules here.

So when I was jobless again, I started to make my own bagels at home. I found out that making bagels was easier than expected and certainly delicious. My favourite toppings are poppy seeds and garlic granules with sea salt. Of course, you are free to be creative with your toppings. I also like my bagels to have a bit of a chewy bite so I do boil mine slightly longer. If you do not like much chew, boil it for a shorter time. Lastly, I add a little honey to the water to boil. It gives out a really nice light scent and taste.

Ingredients

3 ½ cups Flour
1 ½ teaspoons Salt
2 teaspoons Dry Yeast
1 ⅓ ( +/-) Warm Water (45°C)
1 ½ tablespoons Sugar

For Boiling

Medium Sized Pot Water
4 tablespoons Honey

Topping (optional)

1 nos Egg + 1 tablespoon Water (egg wash)
1 tablespoon each Cornstarch + Water (use this if you do not want to use eggs for egg wash)
Poppy Seeds
Sesame Seeds
Garlic Granules
Sea Salt
Sunflower Seeds
Minced Onions

Directions:

Take 1 cup of the warm water and add sugar and yeast. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes or till the yeast starts frothing a little. I like to put it in the oven with just the light on which creates enough heat on a winters day.
Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Pour in yeast mixture and mix (by hand or you can also use a stand mixer if you have. I use my stand mixer to combine ingredients and hand knead half way).
Add in the rest of the water. You may add more water if needed. The dough should be slightly moist but firm after mixing.
Transfer to lightly floured countertop and knead for about 10 minutes (5 minutes if you started off with stand mixer) until it forms a stiff and firm dough.
Use cooking spray to grease a bowl, add dough and cover the bowl with a damp towel. Let the dough rise for an hour in a warm place (I use my oven for this in winter, just slightly warm it up on the lowest setting 5 minutes prior)
Divide dough into 8 pieces (for large ones) and shape it into round pieces.
Coat finger in flour (prevents sticking to finger) and gently press your finger through the centre of each ball to form a ring. Stretch the ring of the bagel and place on a lined baking tray.
Cover bagels with a damp towel and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 220°C. In the meantime, bring a pot of water to boil, add honey. Reduce heat. Use a slotted spoon to lower bagels in. Boil a few at a time, but do not overcrowd.
Boil for a minute, and them flip them over to boil for another minute. Extend the boiling times to 2 minutes each, if you prefer a chewier bagel. Remove and put on lined baking tray.
If you want to add toppings, do so right after you take the bagels out from the water. You will need to use egg wash or a mixture of cornstarch and flour to get the toppings to stick.
Once all bagels have been boiled and have been topped with toppings, bake for 20 minutes.