New York-style Bagels

This recipe is for 16 bagels.

Each bagel should be ~150 kcals.

Ingredients:
12g Yeast

12g Salt

40g Sugar

600g Water

880g (Very) Strong Bread Flour

20g Bicarbonate of Soda (Optional)

Equipment:

Jug for heating water

Large Bowl for mixing

Large Saucepan(s) for boiling dough

Clean surface for kneading

Non-stick method         for baking tray

Baking/Pizza Tray         for baking

Oven at 220c/200c for baking

1. Measure out 600g Water into a jug and microwave until warm [40-60c - no higher, the yeast will die].

2. Add 40 Sugar and 12g Yeast to the warm water, stir well, then leave for 5 minutes until foam appears.

3. Whilst waiting, weigh out 880g Flour and 12g Salt into a large bowl and mix them up.

4. Pour the wet mix into the dry mix and stir together until 95% of the flour is mixed in.

5. Scatter some flour onto the clean surface and remove your dough ball onto the surface.

6. Place a clean tea-towel over the ball and wait for 20 minutes to let gluten develop [Makes your kneading way less messy - called autolysing]. 

7. Whilst waiting, wash the dry dough out of your mixing bowl and add a drizzle of oil.

8. Knead for 5-8 minutes [adding a little more flour to the surface when the dough gets too sticky].

9. Put the dough ball back into the mixing bowl and cover with your clean tea-towel - set a timer for 1 hour.

10. Set the oven to 220c or 200c for fan ovens.

11. Turn out the dough ball onto your surface [no need for more flour, the excess oil from the bowl should do the job].

12. Divide the dough ball into 16 equal parts, shape into balls.

13. Fill the pan(s) with water, add 20g of bicarbonate of soda and bring to a rolling boil whilst doing the next step.

14. Poke your index finger all the way through the centre of a ball, and pick it up on your finger. Slide your other index finger through the same hole from the other side. Roll your index fingers over each other in gradually larger circles to widen the hole. When wide enough, hold the ring shape facing you and work to widen the hole further with index and middle fingers by gently pulling the ring outwards. Repeat until all the balls are now rings then cover and leave for 5 minutes [or however long the next steps take].

15. Fill the horizontal area of the pan with as many bagel rings that fit [Only boil as many as you can fit in the oven at once - they will shrink if left >5 minutes].

16. Boil for 1 minute, then flip them and boil for another minute longer.

17. Remove the boiled bagel rings from the pan and put onto the non-sticked baking tray.

18. Bake for 20 minutes [This is a guideline - always use the colour of the bread to judge].

19. Repeat steps 15-19 until all bagels are boiled and baked!
    
    Tip: if the bagels stick to your baking tray, leave them for a few minutes and they should have become a little more dry and easier to remove.
    
    Please steal this recipe and add your own tips - just let me know the tips!