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This no-sugar bagel recipe is very authentic. The hardest part is shaping the bagels but that will come with practice and in the meantime, however wonky they are, they’ll still taste great. If you want to top with sesame or poppy seeds, dip the top side of the bagels in a bowl of seeds just after they’ve been boiled.

Makes 8

Ingredients

·         658g of High gluten white bread flour. You can use a mix of wholemeal and white or spelt

·         305g water (1g = 1ml) plus 50g of hot water to dissolve the malt syrup

·         4g or 1tsp of instant yeast

·         8g salt

·         18g or 1tsp malt syrup. Barley Malt syrup can be found in most wholefood shops but you can also use honey or molasses

Method

Dissolve the malt syrup in 50g of hot water. Then add the rest of the water, which should be cold and set aside.

 In a bowl add the dry ingredients and mix so they are evenly distributed. Add the water and combine together. It may feel quite dry compared to other bread but keep going - do feel free to add a drop or two more water to make it easier though.

Knead until the dough is silky and elastic - you need good gluten development to get the ‘bagel chew’. Use the windowpane test to check if you have kneaded it enough. Set aside in a plastic container in the fridge for about 8 hours or overnight.

In the morning, prepare a tray with greaseproof paper and sprinkle with semolina or if you have it use a silicon baking sheet on the tray.

Preheat the oven to 220 C if it is a fan oven 250C if not.

Take the dough out of fridge and leave for about half an hour to allow the dough to get to room temperature. This will make it easier to shape.

Use a dough cutter if you have one to divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. A knife is fine if you don’t have a dough cutter.

 Now shape your bagel . This is the part that needs practice. There are lots of ways to do this. Some recipes say you should roll a ball and then poke a hole and while not wrong (it will get a you a bit of bread with a hole in the middle), it does not seem quite right.

So take a dough portion you have just cut and pressing your right hand (of course if you are left handed just use your left etc) in the middle moving it back and forward, make the dough into a cartoon bone shape with two fatter bits at either end.

Now take your left hand and place it on top of the right and pressing down slide them apart; the right hand to the right hand side and the left hand to the left, all the while moving them back and forth, so you start to have a rope of dough, about 25 to 30 cm long. It is about the thickness of a sausage. Don’t worry if it looks a bit ugly to start with.

 Now bring the ends together so they overlap about 1cm press and then twist slightly. Repeat for each dough piece and then set them on the tray.

Set aside , covered, for about half an hour.

Prepare a pan (use a deep spaghetti pan) of water, bring to the boil and add a desert spoon of malt syrup. This will give the bagels their colour and shine. Again honey or molasses will be fine.

When the bagels have rested, place in the boiling water for about 45 seconds. They should float.

 Use a basket strainer or a slotted spoon to turn them and then lift them out of the water, place a on a cooling rack to drain and then on the tray.

When all are done put in the top of the oven for about 15 minutes or until you have a dark crust.

Place on a cooling tray and leave for 10 minutes before opening and spreading a deep ‘schmear’ of cream cheese (use vegan cream cheese if you do not have dairy.)