350 g Italian type 0 white flour
7 g dry yeast
10 g malt powder or 1 teaspoon sugar
200 ml water (room temperature)
½ teaspoon salt
sesame or poppy seeds, as needed
Sieve the flour into a bowl and then add the yeast and malt. Drizzle in the water and start to knead by hand. Once you have a smooth mixture, add the salt and continue to knead until it is completely absorbed. Then transfer the mixture to a work surface and knead for about 5-6 minutes until the dough is completely smooth. Put the dough in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise for about 4 hours at a temperature of 28°-30° C (you can also put it in a turned-off oven with the light on). Once the dough has tripled in volume, transfer it to a work surface using a dough scraper and shape it into a roll with your hands. Then divide into 6 pieces of 90 g each. Use the palm of your hand to form each piece into a ball, rotating with a light pressure on the work surface. Then with your fingers make a hole in the centre of each ball, stretching the balls to create bagels of about 10 cm in diameter and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Place the bagels on a baking tray lined with baking paper and leave to rise for another 40-50 minutes at 28-30°C until they have doubled in volume.
In the meantime, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil.
Cut the baking paper around the bagels into squares so that it is easier to lift them into the boiling water – the baking paper will come loose easily and it can be removed with kitchen tongs. Plunge each bagel into the boiling water for about 20 seconds each side, then remove with a skimmer, and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Sprinkle with the seeds of your choice and cook in a pre-heated oven at 220°C for 30 minutes. Once cooked an golden-brown, remove from the oven and let them cool before serving.
Bagels – with their characteristic hole in the middle – are often used in the USA for Sunday brunch and are popular all over the world.