Can you make bagels with 3 ingredients? Yes you can! Well, actually probably just 2, but the egg really does help add stability and colour. I’d class this as 3.3 ingredients as the bicarbonate soda really helps make them puff up but that is optional too. Plus there’s your toppings! All in all this is a rather fun recipe to try indeedy.
Mix together the 3 ingredients until you get a thick dough that is mouldable. If it is too wet, add a little extra flour a tbsp at a time until workable. You want it to be nice and rigid but not too dry either.
Knead the dough on a floured board until smooth.
Optionally boil some water with the bicarbonate of soda in a pan and leave on a simmer. Make sure the pan is only half filled so it does not spill out as you add the bagels.
Cut the dough into 4 or 5 portions and one at a time roll into a ball and flatten down to make a disc, use an apple corer to take out the centre and make a bagel shape, repeat with the remaining bits of dough. If the hole shrinks whilst making the others, simply re-core it before proceeding.
Drop the bagels into the bicarbonate of soda water that is barely simmering, and cook in the water for 90 seconds, then flip and cook for a further minute. This step is not essential but helps to puff them out a bit, you can just bake them if you want and omit this part. Place each bagel on a wire rack to cool and drain off if needed.
Pre-heat an oven to gas mark 4 or equivalent and place the bagels on a lined baking tray. Now dunk them into the other beaten egg (if you wish to coat them in any toppings) and then sprinkle with your seeds (or whatever you are topping them with). Repeat with all the bagels, then bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown in the oven. Allow to cool on a wire rack before serving! That’s it – easy peasy huh!?