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Ingredients
3 1/2
cups (500g) bread flour
1 envelope
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2-2 Tablespoons sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 Tablespoons vegetable oil, plus a drop more to grease the dough
About 1/2 cup warm water
1 egg white, to glaze
Directions
In a large bowl, mix the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar well. Then mix in the
egg and the oil and add the water gradually, working it in with your
hand‑-enough to make a soft dough that holds together in a ball. Add more
water if necessary, or more flour if it is too sticky.
Turn the dough out and knead on a floured board for 10‑15 minutes, until it
is very smooth and elastic. Grease the dough all over by putting a drop of
oil in the bowl and rolling the dough around in it. Cover the bowl with
plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours, or until
doubled in bulk.
Punch the dough down and knead again briefly. An easy way of shaping the
bagels into rings is to roll out the dough to a rectangle about 1 inch (2
1/2 cm) thick and cut it into 11 equal strips with a pointed knife. Roll
each strip between your palms into a rope about 7 inches (18 cm) long and
1/2 inch (1 1/2 cm) thick and bring the ends together, pinching them to seal
and form a bracelet. Place the rings on an oiled surface, and let them rise
for about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.
Bring plenty of water to a boil in a wide pan, then lower the heat to
medium. Slip in 4 bagels at a time. Boil them for 1‑2 minutes, turning them
over once as they rise to the top. Then lift them out quickly with a slotted
spoon and place them on a cloth to dry. Do the same with the rest of the
bagels. Arrange on oiled baking sheets, brush with egg white, and bake in a
preheated 375F (190C) oven for 15‑20 minutes, until nicely browned.
Yield: 12
Prep: 45 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 3 hours
VARIATIONS
-Sprinkle the bagels lightly with poppy or sesame seeds, fried onion, or
coarse salt before baking.
-Another way of shaping the bread is to roll it into small balls, make a
hole in the middle, and widen it by pulling the ring from the center.
-If you want to make the bagels in the old way, without the egg, you will
simply need to add a little more warm water to bind the flour.
Claudia Roden is one of
England's leading food writers. Her works include the James Beard Award
winning The Book of Jewish Food and A Book of Middle Eastern Food.
Es, es! Eat, eat!
Es gezunterheyt! Eat in health!
(Yiddish)
Leteavon! For appetite! (Hebrew)
Enjoy! (English!)
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