FRUGAL HEALTHY STUDENT FOOD: 'INSTANT' BAGELS

Learn how to make these startlingly easy bagels and you will soon graduate to full-fledged loaves...

Am-a-zing Bagels: Delicious home-made, no yeast, fat or added sugar!
'Both bagels - air-fried and oven-baked - are very good.' 'These are really great!' Tasters

One of the best activities for students hitting the books is breadmaking.  It forces you to get up from your desk at regular intervals, insuring your poor battered brain gets a break.  It helps the budget, giving you fabulous bread for pennies.  And home-made bread with a bit of extra fibre but no nasty preservatives is much better for you than shop bought.  

These home-made bagels are extraordinary, not only because they are so quick and easy to make. But also the bagels have no fat, no added sugar and no yeast.   

Yet they're as tasty and chewy as the classic, much-loved Brick Lane offerings.  Best of all, they are a one-step delight - no boiling involved.  

The recipe was adapted from Skinny Taste, for which much gratitude.  

The photo shows that shaping the dough needs a bit (!) of practice.  But the actual preparation is simple -- just 10mins from start to finish. 

The bagels can be cooked in the oven but if you have an air-fryer, they bake in half the time.   

Cost: max £2, (less if you already have 0% fat Greek or Icelandic yoghurt in the fridge and seeds in the cupboard) 
Makes: 4 but recipe multiplies easily 

Ingredients:
   1 cup plain flour, including 2-3 tbsp brown flour
   2 tsp baking powder
   1/2 tsp sea salt

   170gm/6oz 0-fat plain Greek or Icelandic yoghurt (other yoghurts will be too wet - 67 used Fahy)
   1 egg, separated

extra flour for rolling
   
   Toppings: sesame seed, Nigella seeds, sunflower seeds, onion flakes or a combination

Method:

1. Blend dry ingred in a medium bowl
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy and white
3. Put the yoghurt in the same cup used to measure the flour; the yoghurt  won't fill it; top it up with the egg white (it will probably take all of it)
4. Using a fork, whisk the wet ingreds into the flour until it's clumping together
5. Dump onto lightly floured board; press firmly together in a not-quite-kneading motion 20 times or until the dough is no longer sticky, you may need to gradually add 1/4-1/3 cup ore flour to the board.  There should be no dough on your hands when you pull them away 
6. Divide dough into four equal pieces 
7. Either: roll dough into balls, poke your finger through the middle and stretch it until it is bagel shaped
   
8. OR form ropes about 3/4inch/2cm in diameter and form into a bagel 
   
9. Spread your chosen topping on a wide plate
10. Brush the bagel with beaten egg yolk and liberally scatter over your chosen topping, or press the top of the bagel into the plate of topping
11. AIR FRYER: Bake at 180c/350f for 11-12 mins, cool 10 mins 
12. OVEN: Bake 25mins on top shelf of an oven pre-heated to 180c/350f ; wait 10 mins before eating 

Comments:
'Both are great bagels but I think I prefer the one cooked in the air-fryer - it's got stronger flavour and more solid consistency.  But both are good and were very welcome as an afternoon snack -- I'm only sorry I didn't wait to have them at home with smoked salmon!' Recovering political agent.
'These are really great!' Campaign manager

Tips:

• If you liked these you will also like some other no-knead breads: Foccacia, Cinnamon Rolls (Make Ahead), Cheese & Walnut Light Wholemeal Soda Bread (option for no common wheat), Vegan Pizza (with carnivore & vegetarian options)
• Cup sizes: 67 used English cups (250ml) but any cup will do as long as the proportions are honoured, ie, it's used for both dry and wet ingredients
• Skinny Taste offers gluten-free and dairy-free bagels which 67 has not tested

More on NavBar: Recipes I/Baking

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This recipe has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.