Homemade bagels

Don’t have any concrete plans for Easter yet, but think it would be a shame to let it pass by without doing anything? Just bake bagels! Not only are they easy to make, they’re also incredibly delicious. All you need to do next is make sure you have some tasty toppings and a good bottle of wine, and your Easter brunch is sorted.

Method

1               Mix the flour, yeast, 2 tbsp sugar and salt in a large bowl. Gradually pour in the water and mix with a fork until combined. Knead the mixture by hand or in a stand mixer for approx. 10 minutes until you have a smooth and elastic bread dough. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Leave the dough to rise in a warm place for approx. 1 hour, until it has doubled in volume.

2               Place the dough on a floured work surface. Cut the dough into 10 pieces and shape them into slightly flattened balls. Make a hole of approx. 3 centimetres in diameter in the centre with your finger. Place the bagels on a baking tray lined with baking paper and leave to rise for another approx. 30 minutes.

3               Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220 °C. Bring a large pan of water and the remaining sugar to the boil. Boil the bagels in the water for approx. 1 minute, turning them halfway through the cooking time. Remove the bagels from the water with a slotted spoon and leave them to drain on a tea towel.

4               Beat the egg with a splash of water. Brush the bagels with the egg mixture. Sprinkle the bagels with sesame seeds or poppy seeds. Bake the bagels in the oven for 15–20 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Turn the bagels over and bake them upside down for another approx. 10 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown too.

Cooking for a large group? With these tips, your dinner will go flawlessly.