AVOCADO & SALMON HOMEMADE BAGELS WITH ORANGE SCENT

I love my bagel’s recipe so much that, in my delirium, I’m certain they also like me. If you say bagels = you mean University. The California Bakery (a lovely place to eat in Milan) should – at least – dedicate me a plaque because I think I’ve actually eaten at dozens.  The golden age of late-night cramming to study, parties, exams and happiness is long gone and so I had to do something to remedy my withdrawal symptoms. If you want something done it’s better to do it yourself, so after several failures I found the perfect recipe and I want to give you, as a little present.

Ingredients (for 10 bagels)

Bagels:

• 500 grams of all purpose flour
• 10 grams of salt
• 20 grams of sugar
• 5 grams of fresh yeast
• 240 mL of water
• 1 whole egg
• 1 egg yolk for brushing + 1 teaspoon of chestnut honey
• Poppy seeds, sesame seeds q.s.

My favorite stuffing:

• Avocado
• Smoked salmon
• Cherry tomatoes
• Cream cheese

An impromptu sauce (put few teaspoons on the bread before stuffing):

• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• The juice of half an orange
• A tip of a teaspoon of mustard
• A pinch of orange zest
• A pinch of salt
• Paprika q.s.
• Pepper as needed
• Cumin seeds q.s.

Matching soundtrack: Stitches, Shawn Mendes

PROCESS

I anticipate that by reading the passages you will want to desist from preparing them. Don’t do it, it’s easier to do than to be written, I promise you.

The first step is mixing together flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. In another bowl pour the water and blend the yeast, then add the lightly beaten egg and stir. Now you can combine the dry ingredients and the wet ones, so stir well until the mixture is free of lumps.

Now you just need to rest the dough: cover with a tea towel and leave in the oven for 30 minutes. After this time knead it again sharply until the dough does not “pull” or anyway until you don’t feel any resistance to your hand. Therefore return it to rest for a further hour after which deflate the dough with the fist. Now sprinkle the pastry with the flour and form a sausage, divide it in 10 equal pieces. Form 10 balls and then create a sort of donut. Put the newly created bagels on a baking sheet and let rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, put lightly salted water to a boil in a large pot and, once the resting time is over, cook bagels 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer the bagels on baking sheet and brush them with beaten egg yolk with honey, sprinkle with your favourite seeds and pour into the pan a glass of water. Bake in preheated oven at 220 ° C for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown (keep an eye on it). Let cool, and so you can stuff them as you want, they are excellent in both sweet and salt version – and even alone.

Sweet Inspirations:

• Hazelnut and chocolate cream, ricotta cheese, caramelized orange, pistachios
• Fresh mascarpone cheese, salted caramel (you can find the recipe here), peach marmalade, chopped fresh basil
• Cream cheese, cinnamon, caramel apple with lemon juice and muscovado sugar

Savory inspirations:

• Speck, Taleggio cheese, cream cheese, walnuts, arugula
• Grilled chicken sliced, lettuce, tomatoes, mayonnaise
• Ham, mozzarella cheese, fresh spinach
• Burrata cheese, grilled eggplant, sun-dried tomatoes
• San Daniele ham, Parmigiano Reggiano, few drops of honey, pear slices

Photography: Sara Cartelli.
© Immagini The Eat Culture.