Valentine's recipe: breakfast bagel

Procedure

1. Put the yeast, a teaspoon of sugar, 100 ml of lukewarm water into a bowl, stir and let the yeast start to foam. Then add another 200 ml of warm water and finally add the flour and salt.

2. Knead a smooth dough. If the dough is too thick, add the remaining water. Shape the kneaded dough into a ball and place it in a bowl greased with oil. Cover with a cloth and let it rise in a warm place. The dough can also be prepared in a home bread maker. Use the Dough program.

3. Preheat the oven to 220 °C (200 °C for fan ovens).

4. Once the dough has risen, shape it into balls (size depending on how big you want the bagels) and place them on a floured work surface. Insert a wooden spoon handle into the center of each ball and, with circular movements on the surface, create a hole or ring. When all the bagels have holes, cover them with a cloth and let them rise for about half an hour.

5. In a larger wide pot, bring water to a boil and add a teaspoon of sugar. Reduce the heat, put the bagels into the pot gradually (about 4 at a time), and boil each side for half a minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and place the bagels on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush them with beaten egg and sprinkle with seeds to your taste. Put them in the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes.

Author's tip

For the filling, I chose smoked curd cheese whipped with cream, a pinch of salt, and a unique and extraordinary pepper – ideally Kampot dark red pepper. Its flavor has exotic undertones and an amazing fruity aroma, and it is gently sweet. I like to work with it not only in savory dishes but also in my special desserts, ice creams, and jams. It wonderfully complements the flavors of other ingredients. In my filling, it blends with smoked curd cheese, prosciutto, and homemade cheese.

Enjoy your meal!