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bagels Breads Recipes

Homemade Seeded Bagels

It’s been a year since I started making my own bagels and they’ve become a staple in our house. Not just for weekend lunches, but also for packed lunches. They’re so soft you don’t always need to toast them.

If you like a bit of a different texture and flavour to your bagel, but don’t want the heavier texture from a wholemeal flour. Try adding some seeds to your mix. Here I used a 5 seed mix from Shipton Mill, which includes wheat flakes, barley flakes, sunflower seeds, millet and oats.

This recipe will make 8 bagels.

Ingredients – makes 8

  • 450g bread flour, I use Shipton Mill Bread flour
  • 50g seeds, try Shipton Mill 5 Seed Blend
  • 7g yeast
  • 2tsp salt
  • 300ml warm water
  • 2 tbsp honey for bagels
  • 2 tbsp honey for water
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • oil and cornmeal for the trays
  • 1 egg for egg wash
  • Rock salt and seeds to sprinkle on top.

Equipment

  • 2 baking trays
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Plastic shower cap or cling film to cover
  • Jug
  • Scales
  • Cooling rack
  • Large pan or stockpot

Method

To make by hand:

  • Weigh out the flour, yeast and seeds into a bowl.
  • Mix the honey, oil, water and salt in a jug.
  • Make a well in the flour and add a third of the liquid and mix with a spoon.
  • Once absorbed add another third and repeat, then add the final third.
  • When combined use your hands to kneed together, it should not be sticky and slightly more springy than bread dough.
  • Turn out onto a floured surface and kneed until it’s springs back when you prod it.
  • Place in an oiled bowl and cover with cling film or a plastic shower cap.
  • Leave to rise for at least 2 hours.

You can also make the bagels in a standup mixer, simply:

  • Add all the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl, making sure to separate the yeast and salt.
  • Add the oil and honey to the side of the bowl with the salt
  • Now add 3/4 of the water and start the mixer on the lowest speed.
  • Once absorbed add the rest of the water and turn the speed up a notch. Leave for 5 minutes. Then check the dough and give a quick hand kneed if it doesn’t quite spring back.

Making your bagels

  • Once risen turn out onto a floured surface and quickly kneed – I knock out the air once and kneed a few times only.
  • Flour one of you trays
  • Roll into a sausage and cut into 8, then roll each eighth into a ball.
  • To make the bagels flatten the ball and use your fingers to make a hole in the middle.
  • Then work with your hands to even out the bagel and make the hole 2-3cm wide.
  • Place each bagel on the tray, then cover with a towel and leave for 20 mins.

Cooking your bagels

  • Heat the oven to 220c.
  • Meanwhile bring a pan of water to a simmer, add 2tbsp honey and mix in.
  • Oil or add parchment to your baking trays and scatter with cornmeal or semolina flour
  • Then poach each bagel for 20 second on each side, I normally do batches of 3.
  • Once done quickly drain and place on a baking tray.
  • Once they’re all poached coat in an egg wash and sprinkle with salt and seeds on top.
  • Then bake for about 15 minutes
  • They should be golden and sound hollow.
  • Cool on a cooling rack and then serve.

Try them with turkey, cheese and slaw.