Make your own bagels

Makes 12

Prep time: 1 hour (plus 19-23hrs proofing, chilling and resting)

Bake time: 20 minutes

EQUIPMENT bowl . spatula . cling film . stand mixer fitted with a dough hook . medium bowl . dough scraper . tea towel . baking parchment . 3 large baking trays . silicone mats (optional) · large, wide saucepan · spider strainer · wire rack . foil

Ingredients

For the poolish

• 215g water, tepid
• 1g fresh yeast or 0.5g instant dry yeast
• 215g strong white bread flour

For the dough

• 640g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
• 255g water, tepid
• 20g fine sea salt
• 10g fresh yeast or 5g instant dry yeast
• 25g caster sugar
• 30g diastatic malt powder
• Oil, for oiling

For the poaching liquid

• 3 litres water
• 1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda
• 11/2 tbsp barley malt extract
• pinch of salt

For the toppings

• sesame seeds
• poppy seeds
• everything seasoning

Method

1. The evening before, prepare the poolish. Stir the tepid water and yeast together in a bowl until the yeast has dissolved. Add the flour and mix it together with a spatula until there are no more dry ingredients. Cover with cling film leave to stand at room temperature for 10-12 hours.
2. The next day, the poolish should be very bubbly and active, with a slightly domed surface. Add this to a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, together with all the dough ingredients and mix on medium speed for 6-7 minutes until the dough is smooth. Bagels are a low-hydration dough so the mixture may seem dry at first. If, after a few minutes of mixing, the dough feels dry or crumbly, your flour may be more absorbent, so add a splash of water to help bring it together.
3. Remove the dough from the mixer and gently shape it into a tight ball. Lift it into a medium, lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling film. Proof at room temperature for 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.
4. Lift the proofed dough out of the bowl and flatten it gently, then shape it into a tight ball. Return it to the oiled bowl, cover with cling film, and refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
5. Remove the dough from the fridge and gently flatten it with your hand. Using a dough scraper, cut the dough into 115g pieces. Lift a piece onto an unfloured work surface and cup your hand gently around one of the dough pieces, so you hand forms a loose C shape. Begin to rotate the dough in small circular motions, using slight pressure to create surface tension. As the dough moves, the bottom will begin to seal, and the top will smooth out. Keep rotating until you have a tight even ball with a smooth surface. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Place the dough balls on a very lightly flour work surface, cover them loosely with a tea towel, and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
6. To shape the bagels, lightly flour your index finger, and gently press this into the centre of the dough ball to make a hole. Lift the bagel up and take your other index finger, connecting each finger on the underside of the bagel and begin to slowly rotate it around your fingers. Place one hand inside the ring and, using a squeezing and stretching motion with your fingers and palm, gradually stretch the dough until it is evenly thick all the way round. Rest your other hand on the outside, guiding the shape.
7. Place the bagels on lightly oiled parchment squares and repeat. Cover loosely with very lightly oiled cling film. Proof at room temperature for 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
8. Just before the bagels have finished proofing, preheat the oven to 245C (225C fan/473°F/Gas 8) and line two baking trays with silicone mats or baking parchment. Fill a large, wide saucepan with the water for the poaching liquid and place over a medium heat. Once it reaches a gentle simmer, stir through the bicarbonate of soda, malt extract, and salt.
9. Working in batches, transfer the bagels to the simmering water and peel off the baking parchment. Depending on the size of your pan, you should be able to boil three or four bagels at once, but don't overcrowd the pan or they will be hard to flip. Boil for 60 seconds, before flipping them over with a spider strainer and boiling for a further 60 seconds.
10. Using the spider strainer, remove each bagel from the pan. Lift each bagel straight onto the baking trays and sprinkle the toppings over the top. Alternatively, if you want to fully coat your bagel in seeds, as soon as you lift it from the poaching liquid, place it directly onto another tray filled with your toppings, gently toss until coated on all sides, and transfer the bagels to the lined baking trays. Repeat the poaching with the remaining bagels.
11. Bake the bagels for 20 minutes, swapping the trays halfway through so they colour evenly. The oven temperature is quite high, so if they are getting too dark, simply cover them with foil. Once baked, remove the bagels from the oven and lift them straight onto a wire rack. Leave to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing so that the crumb can set.