BEST BAGEL AND COFFEE RECIPES

Steps:

• Combine 1 1/4 cup water, flour, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, vegetable oil, and yeast in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low speed using the dough hook until well-developed, about 8 minutes. To ensure the gluten has developed fully, cut off a walnut-sized piece of dough. Flour your fingers, and then stretch the dough: if it tears immediately, the dough needs more kneading. Fully developed dough should form a thin translucent "windowpane."
• Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel, and let rise for 2 hours.
• Punch the dough down, place it on a lightly floured work surface, and use a knife or dough scraper to divide the dough into 6 pieces (or more, for smaller bagels). Roll each piece of dough into a sausage shape about 6 inches long. Join the ends to form a circle. Repeat with the remaining dough, and let the bagels rest for 15 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange small plates with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and onion flakes next to the baking sheet.
• Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Add honey, if desired (see Editor's Note). Boil the bagels, three at a time, until they rise to the surface of the pot, about 1 minute per side. Remove the bagels with a slotted spoon and place them on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Dip the tops of the wet bagels into the toppings and arrange them, seeds up, on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse salt, if desired. Bake in the preheated oven until the bagels begin to brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

Steps:

• Pour 300ml warm water into a large bowl and stir in 2 tsp salt, the sugar, yeast, oil and half the flour. Keep adding the remaining flour, mixing with your hands or in a mixer with a dough hook until you have a soft, pliable dough. Knead for 10 minutes until the dough feels smooth and elastic and a finger indent pressed into it pops out quickly. Shape into a ball and put in a cleaned, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place until doubled in size, or put in the fridge to prove slowly overnight.
• Heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 10, each about 85g. Start to shape each piece by pulling it down and tucking under to form a rough ball.
• Cup your hand over and move your hand and the dough around in a circular motion to further shape the ball.
• Take a wooden spoon and use the handle to make a hole in the middle of each ball.
• Slip the end of the spoon into the hole, then twirl the bagel around the spoon to make a hole about 3cm wide – it needs to be this wide as it will shrink as the dough expands again. Cover loosely with clingfilm while you shape the rest.
• Bring a large pan of water to the boil and tip in the bicarb of soda – it will fizz madly. Slip the bagels into the boiling water – no more than four at a time. Cook for 1 minute, turning over in the water until the bagels have puffed slightly and a skin has formed – if you cook them for longer they will get chewier and look a bit bobbly after baking. Remove with a flat slotted spoon and drain away any excess water. Put on an oiled baking tray.
• Glaze with the egg and add any toppings you like. Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden and crisp. Cool on a wire rack.