The best bagel recipe

Bagels.md

Bagels

Makes 12 fantastic bagels.

Ingredients

Sponge:

• 4 Cups (550g) Bread Flour
• 1 Teaspoon Instant Yeast
• 600ml Water (room temperature)

Dough:

• 1 Teaspoon Diastatic Malt Powder (optional)
• 1 Teaspoon Instant Yeast
• 2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Brown Sugar
• 3 cups (420g) Bread Flour

Boiling:

• 2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
• 2 Teaspoons Barley Syrup (optional)

Baking:

• 2 Tbsp Cornflour

Egg Wash:

• 1 Egg
• 2 Tablespoons Water

Method

Day 1 (evening)

1. Mix the sponge in a bowl covered with a wet teatowel
2. Put it in the oven at the lowest temperature (20-30 degrees) for an hour.
3. Add the other dough ingredients then knead the absolute shit out of it - around an hour of kneading. You should be exhausted.
4. Let dough rest for at least 15 minutes
5. Form bagels (makes roughly 12 bagels)
6. Place in fridge overnight with a dry teatowel over them. Bagels should not be touching each other (leave a 3-5 cm gap between each one)

Day 2 (morning)

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
2. Heat up a large pot of water. Add baking soda and barley syrup. Wait until water has reached a furious boil.
3. Boil each bagel for 20 seconds on each side. Place on a tea towel for a minute to dry.
4. Dip the base of each bagel in cornmeal and place on baking tray
5. Brush egg wash over the top of each bagel then sprinkle with topping of choice
6. Place in oven for 40 minutes (using two trays, swapping after 20 minutes)

They last 2 days so reserve the bagels you can eat in 2 days and freeze the rest