Happy New Year!

I have tried to make bagels before. It was back when they were doing them as a technical challenge on GBBO, and my friend Rhi, Pat, and I made some and took them into work, just as we did with the English Muffins. A happy bagel-filled day!

They were however, to coin a Paul Hollywood phrase, Flagels.

Flat Bagels.

My one and only resolution for the new year is to try and bake more new recipes, rather than sticking to old tried and tested favourites all the time. Yeah, I know that we like them, but maybe we shall like other things even more! While I am unemployed of course, it’s the ideal opportunity to do this, especially now I am blessed with having my stuff!

Anyhow, this is a recipe from Bread Revolution by Duncan Glendinning and Patrick Ryan. I adapted the method slightly, as I didn’t use fresh yeast, which most of the recipes in the book calls for. Shockingly, I have had this book for over a year, I bought it at the Cake and Bake Show at Earl’s Court, having watched Patrick Ryan do a demonstration and being totally inspired – really wish I could have gone on his baking course at his bakery school on Heir Island, having seen him demonstrate twice and really loving his passion for bread and food. Unfortunately, life kinda got in the way, I didn’t have the time to go to Ireland before we moved, and the book had languished…. But languish no more book! Languish no more!

Bagel Recipe – adapted from  Bread Revolution by Duncan Glendinning and Patrick Ryan

Ingredients

750g/ 1lb 10 oz/ 5 cups strong white flour

15g/ 3 tsp fine sea salt

10g/ 2 tsp fast action yeast

375ml/ 13 fl oz/ 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

65g/ 2 1/4 oz/ 7 tsp honey

Method

Mix together the flour, salt, and yeast in a bowl and make a well in the centre.

Combine the honey and water in a jug, then add to the dry ingredients.

Bring together into a dough with your hands or a scraper. then turn the dough out onto a clean surface, and knead for 10 minutes, or until you achieve the windowpane effect. (It will be a firm dough)

Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and leave to prove for an hour, or until doubled in size.

Transfer the dough onto a clean worktop, knock back, then divide into 12 equal portions and roll into a neat ball.

Allow to rest for five minutes, flatten each ball down with your hand, then, using your thumb, push through the centre to create a hole. Slowly widen the hole with your fingers, while maintaining the circular shape (I go for the spinning it round my finger approach) Dust the bagel in flour to prevent the the dough coming back together.

Place on a floured baking tray, cover with a damp cloth, and leave to prove for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Take your widest saucepan, half fill with water, add a pinch of salt, and bring just to the boil, then reduce the temperature to a simmer.

Take each bagel and drop it into the simmering water. Cook for 2 minutes each side.

Line a baking tray with non-stick baking parchment (very important! You have been warned!) Remove the bagels from the water, place onto the prepared tray, and bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly golden.

Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Yum! I did half plain, then for the others, scattered some sesame, poppy, and linseeds over the surface after the boiling step and baked as above.

Mr M was hovering, wanting one before they had even come out of the oven, but did eventually wait for them to cool slightly, then ate them with a bit of cream cheese, smoked salmon, and freshly ground pepper:

New Year’s Eve was a quiet night in, watching some British New Year’s specials, but I did whip up some Virgin Mojito Sorbet, using this recipe, substituting apple juice for the rum:

YUMMY! Mr M made quite a few silly faces while eating it, I think he found it a bit too sour, but for me it was totally delicious!