WHY ARE BAGELS COOKED TWICE?
Poaching in water gelatinises the starch on the surface and makes the crust very smooth. In the oven, the pre-formed crust will dry out while retaining its smooth texture, and the interior of the bagel will cook.
MAKES 20 × 4 CM
BAGELS
1 BAGEL DOUGH
8 g fresh baker’s yeast, crumbled
190 g water
280 g plain flour
2 g salt
10 g sugar
30 g poppy seeds
2 POACHING WATER
3 litres (12 cups) water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
3 GLAZE
1 egg, beaten
1 Preheat the oven to 30°C. Pour, in order, the yeast, water, flour, salt and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Mix at medium speed until the dough is smooth and falls away from the sides of the bowl.
2 Transfer to a round-bottomed bowl, cover with a tea towel and put in the oven for about 1 hour for the first rise; the dough should double in volume.
3 Place the dough on a floured work surface and knock it back.
4 Place the dough between two sheets of baking paper, then roll out using a rolling pin and rolling rods. Set aside in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
5 Remove the top layer of baking paper, cut out discs using a 4 cm cookie cutter, and arrange them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, spacing them at least 3 cm apart. Cut a 15 mm hole in the middle of each disc using a plain 15 mm piping nozzle. Join all the offcuts together without overworking and roll out again. Repeat until all the dough has been used.
6 Put in the 30°C oven for about 15 minutes for the second rise.
7 Bring the poaching water to the boil in a large saucepan, then add the sugar and bicarbonate of soda. Remove the bagels from the oven and increase the temperature to 180°C. Cut the baking paper into four pieces with the bagels still on it.
8 Reduce the heat under the saucepan. Plunge a piece of the baking paper with its bagels into the water, turning it over. Pull out the paper and cook the bagels in the simmering water for 1 minute, then turn the bagels over and cook for a further minute.
9 Remove the bagels using a skimmer, place them on a clean tea towel and cover with another tea towel to absorb any excess water. Repeat this process with the remaining bagels.
10 Line the baking sheet with fresh baking paper, add the bagels, glaze them with the egg using a pastry brush and sprinkle over the poppy seeds. Bake for 20–25 minutes, then remove and allow to cool on a wire rack.
