Last year, I was in NYC, and swung by Trader Joes. I grabbed 2 bottles of everything-bagel seasoning, to try and re-create the epic NYC bagel experience back home in Cairo. And here I am today, finally making said epic bagel experience. But with a twist. Ish.
Bagels are dense, delicious, filling, and with the seasonings — notably with anything oniony — it becomes a perfect pair with cream cheese and literally everything else. So the twist here is in the dough; comprised of 2 solitary ingredients — self raising flour, with Greek yogurt, and that’s it.
I know I know, it’s not new, and it’s not rocket science (although there’s some science involved). But I’m a happy girl because just re-created that dense goodness in a few small steps, rather than taking the long road. Is it a bagel? Yes. Is it 100% the right bagel recipe? Probably not. Is it delicious? YES! Is it worth making? Absolutely.
**A little note on self-raising flour though - I live in Cairo, and it's sometimes hard to find. You can, however, make your own self raising flour by adding a teaspoon of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt to every cup of plain flour.
I made this early on solitary Sunday morning, enjoyed it warm and crispy, and while that lovely crust will soften as the day goes by, the intention is to slice it in half and pop it into the toaster tomorrow morning so i can have it for breakfast with a medley of cheeses, tomato, cucumber, a few slices of avocado, and turkey slices. Yum.... This recipe makes around 4 large palm-sized ones, or 6 smaller ones, depending on your fancy :)
Ingredients:
1 cup Greek Yogurt
2 cups self raising flour** (see note above)
Egg wash (1 egg beaten with a dash of milk)
Everything-Bagel seasoning (your choice though)
Method:
Mix greek yogurt and flour together in a large bowl, and knead until smooth. If too goopy, add a dash of flour. If too dry, add a dash of water or milk. The consistency should be slightly shabby dough that barely sticks to the hands.
Knead dough into a ball and sit to rest for a few minutes, until you preheat the oven to 180.C.
Divide dough into 4 portions. Roll each one into a thick log, bringing it together by the edges to form a donut shape (attach them securely, or the shape may unravel in the oven as it bakes). Repeat with the remaining dough portions and place on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
Brush the bagels with egg wash, and sprinkle generously with your bagel seasoning.
Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the bagels are golden. Remove from the oven, leave to cool, or enjoy warm with the fillings of your choice.
Comments