The first time I made bagels they didn’t go so well. They were delicious but… not right. I’m happy to report that that was simply down to my human error and, if done correctly, they make a lovely bagel. So, ladies and gentlemen, I give you Bagels With Holes:
Alright, so you can’t see the holes so well in that shot but I thought I’d give you the prettier one first!
The key to getting the holes is to poke the spoon into the ball and then twirl it round the pole so that centrifugal force, or something physics like, pulls the hole bigger. Also the second rise seems to be a little unnecessary. Give it 20 minutes if you must while you get your water going but certainly don’t leave it too long. You can, in fact, start dropping them in as soon as you’ve shaped them but I’d start with the ones you’ve shaped first to give the dough a little rest. I made 12 bagels but I’d stick with the recipe and go for 10 because some of these were a little on the small side. Don’t worry about getting them all round either, that just comes with practice unfortunately but the wonky ones are just as yummy!
Anna in the kitchen 