Recipe- Assorted Bagel

Assorted Bagel Bread Basket

Ingredients
Bagel Bread Dough

All Purpose Flour (Maida) 250 Gm 

Dry instant yeast 5 gm

Sugar 0.5 tablespoon

Water 150 ml

Salt 0.5 tsp

Oil/ Unsalted Butter 50 ml

Bagel

Sugar 1 tbsp

Roasted Oregano 2 tbsp (For Dusting)

Roasted Zaatar (Thyme) 2 tbsp (For Dusting)

Chopped Olives 1 tbsp (For Dusting)

Sesame Seeds 2 tbsp (For Dusting)

Chocolate Chips 1 tbsp (For Dusting)

Olive oil 7 tsp

Method

Bagel Bread Dough

• In a big deep bowl take 50 ml warm water.
• Add sugar and yeast, mix slowly, cover the bowl and leave for 10 mins.
• Meanwhile sift maida into another bowl.
• Check after 10 minutes the yeast will raise and bubbles should form.
• Now add 100 ml warm water, 50 ml oil or melted unsalted butter to that and mix well.
• Now add salt and half of maida.
• Now mix well and keep adding small amounts of maida (you may not have to use it all) to make soft and nonsticky dough. 
• Then knead for further 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
• Shape the dough like a ball and put in a greased big bowl (Fig 1).
• Cover loosely with a cling film making sure no air can go inside (Fig 2).
• Leave in a warm place or inside microwave (of course in a switch off mode) for around 1-2 hours.
• By then it should become double or triple in size (Fig 3).
• Take the dough out and punch it a few times.

Bagel

• Now make 7 balls out of the dough and arrange on a grill (Fig 4).
• Cover with a cling film and leave for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile take a big pan and fill 3/4 with water.
• Add 1 tbsp sugar and let the water boils.
• Now pick one ball and make a hole in the center with your index finger.
• Move your finger a little bit to make the hole wider (Fig 5).

• Dip this ball in to the boiling water (Fig 6).
• Now pick another ball and do the same.
• Do not dip more than 3 balls at a time inside the boiling water as they will double or triple in size (Fig 7).
• Turn each bagel ball after 2-3 minutes or when it looks cooked one side.
• Boil other side as well for 1-2 minutes. (Do not over boil as it may break)
• Gently remove from water and place over a grill.
• Do the same way with all bagel balls and arrange over a grill so that all excess water leaves the balls.

• Now preheat the oven at 200°C.
• Dust all bagels with different toppings. Like Oregano, Zaatar, Chopped Olives, Sesame seeds or Chocolate Chips (Fig 8).
• Pour 1 tsp of olive oil over all bagels except chocolate one.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 20-30 minutes keep checking if the upper crust is not still brown bake them for further 5-10 minutes at 180°C. 
• When done take them out from the oven and let them cool to handle.
• When cooled enough slit from the center and spread either butter or cheese spread, some salt and pepper (Fig 9 &10). 
• Serve warm.

Tips

• First of all check if yeast is not bubbled, discard it. That means yeast is not good or it might be very old to use.
• For better results sift the maida 2-3 times.
• The ratio of water and maida may vary depending upon weather conditions or quality of maida. So you may not need to use all maida. first add half and then keep adding the remaining maida in small batches to make a soft, light and non sticly dough.
• Knead the dough until you will feel bit lighter in weight.
• While dipping the bagel balls into the boiling water be very careful. If your pan is small dip only one bagel at a time as they will raise in size.
• Do not boil each bagel for more than 5 minutes.
• You can use your choice of toppings. 
• Baking is always a hit and trial method as the baking time and temperature may vary on different weather conditions, the type of oven, the quality of maida and yeast. So dont worry if you don't get it right in the first attempt. Keep trying and surely you will be successful next time :).

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