A bagel is really nothing more than a simple bun made of raised dough with a hole in the middle. When fresh and crispy, it is irresistible.
If you like to make pastry at home, baking bagels should not be a challenge. You can eat a bagel plain, spread with butter or jam, or even make a sandwich with lettuce, ham and cheese.
Ingredients for 6 bagels
- 600 g flour
- 150 g butter
- 30 g yeast
- 250 g milk
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 egg for the spread
- Unground poppy and sesame seeds for sprinkling
Preparation
Heat the milk to lukewarm, add the sugar, crumble in the yeast and wait ten minutes for it to rise to the top.
Meanwhile, melt the butter and leave to cool to lukewarm. Sift the flour, add the salt and yeast milk and mix first with a wooden spoon and then by hand. Drizzle in the melted butter, knead into a smooth dough, then cover with a kitchen towel and leave to rise in a warm place for about an hour until it doubles in size.
When the dough has risen, knead it on a floured board, separate into uniform sized buns, flatten with your hands and cut out the center with a pastry or cookie cutter. Place the bagels side by side on a baking tray lined with baking paper, brush the tops with a slightly whisked egg, cover again and leave to rise for a further half an hour.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C. Immediately before placing the bagels into the oven, sprinkle the tops with poppy seeds or sesame seeds to taste and bake for 15 minutes until golden brown.