Wholemeal Sesame Bagels

A bit of baking on the menu today. Bagels are a fantastic lunchtime staple and are a great alternative to bread that would be perfect for a picnic now the summer seems to be finally here. 

Yes, they are a bit fiddly and yes, there are a few steps involved, but they taste great and are really worth the additional effort.

The recipe will make 8 bagels. You could easily double the recipe and freeze the rest.

Ingredients

• 200-250ml of luke warm water

• 1 teaspoon of dried yeast

• 1 teaspoon of honey

• a couple of sprays of Fry Light One Cal Spray Oil

• 180g of wholemeal flour plus more for dusting

• 180g plain white flour plus more for dusting

• 2 vegetable or chicken stock cubes. (Preferably low sodium). Crumbled

• Boiling water

• 5-6 teaspoons of sesame seeds

• a little sea salt

Method

1. Add the yeast and honey to to the warm water and stir to combine. Let it sit for a minute or so while you get on with the flour.
2. Line a baking tray with foil and spray well with the spray oil.
3. Meanwhile, add the flour to a large bowl and add the stock cubes and stir to combine.
4. Next make a well in the centre and add half the liquid. Bring the dough together from the centre of the bowl, gradually taking the flour from the sides of the bowl.
5. Add the rest of the water, 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together. (You might not need to use all the water).
6. Transfer to a well floured board and dust again with flour. (The white plain flour is best for this). Kneed the dough for approximately 5 minutes until it forms a springy dough. (It will be very sticky initially, so flour it well as you go along).
7. Divide the dough into 8 roughly equal pieces and dust with the wholemeal flour this time.
8. Take one of the pieces and roll it into a sausage shape roughly 5-6 inches long. Bring the ends together to make a ring, allowing the ends to overlap by about an inch or so. Press together to form a seal ensuring there is a hole in the centre. Transfer to the lined tray and continue with rest of the dough.
9. When you have all 8 shaped, spray some cling film with spray oil and lightly cover. Leave to rest in a warm place for approximately 30 minutes. They should rise slightly.
10. Then remove the cling film and let them sit for 15-20 minutes to return to room temperature.
11. Next, re-line your baking tray with tin foil and spray again with oil. (It's fine to use the same foil if the bagels didn't leave much residue when resting).
12. Next, add boiling water to a large wide pan and return to the boil. When it's bubbling, carefully, one at a time, place your first two bagels into the water and let them simmer for approximately a minute or so. (They should float). Then carefully turn over and allow to simmer for a further minute or so. Carefully remove and place on the lined tray. Continue with the rest of the bagels in pairs.
13. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
14. Next, lightly sprinkle the sesame seeds onto the bagels and press them gently into the dough. (You might need to reform some of the holes in the centre of the bagels. The end of a spoon or an asbestos finger will both work fine). Sprinkle lightly with the sea salt.
15. Bake the bagels in the centre of the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
16. To serve, carefully slice the bagel in two. (The safest way to do this is to leave the bagel flat and insert a serrated knife horizontally and carefully slice half way across. Place your hand flat on top to hold the bagel steady. Then turn the bagel on it's side and carefully slice downwards). Lightly toast in the toaster or grill and serve.