Apple & Almond Puff Pastry Tart
TIER 1
Apple & Almond Puff Pastry Tart
In Tier 1 we’re mastering the essential technique of laminating inverse puff pastry. This is trickier as the dough is wrapped in a butter block which means it can get a little sticky, but the resulting pastry melts in the mouth. We’ve covered laminating a few times so if you’ve tried those classes, you will be really confident heading into this. Once the dough has rested, we cut it into discs, fill it with an almond cream and finally add some sliced apples. After your first bite, you’ll want to eat the whole tray!
6
TARTS
Ingredients
Makes 6 Individual Tarts
Inverse Puff Pastry
Butter Block
100g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
300g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
Dough
200g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
4g Fine Sea Salt
120g Double/Heavy Cream
20g Cold Water
5g White Vinegar
Almond Cream
55g Unsalted Butter, Soft
55g Icing Sugar
130g Ground Almonds
10g Cornstarch/Cornflour
45g Whole Eggs, Room Temperature
2-3 Pink Lady Apples
Egg Wash
35g Egg Yolk
30g Double/Heavy Cream
Icing/Powdered Sugar To Decorate
Special equipment
Stand mixer
Digital thermometer
12cm cookie cutter
Piping bag
Method
Inverse Puff Pastry
Butter Block
1. Add the soft butter and flour into a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat for 1-2 minutes on a medium speed until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- 100g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
- 300g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
2. Trace a rectangle 35 x 20 cm/14 x 8 inches in the centre of a large sheet of parchment paper or acetate, then flip it over. Place the butter mixture into the centre, folding over the edges of the paper and taping them in place if needed.
3. Use a rolling pin to roll it into a rectangle with even thickness. Chill for 3 hours in the fridge or overnight.
Dough
1. For the dough, add all the ingredients to a large bowl and stir together until there are no more dry ingredients. It can help to squeeze it together with your hands.
- 200g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
- 4g Fine Sea Salt
- 120g Double Cream
- 20g Cold Water
- 5g White Vinegar
2. Tip the mixture onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it for 1–2 minutes. Initially, it will be quite dry, but as you continue to work it, it will become smooth and gain some very slight elasticity.
3. Trace a rectangle 17.5 x 20cm into the centre of a large sheet of baking parchment or acetate and flip it over. Place the dough in the centre and fold over the edges of the parchment, taping it in place if needed. Roll the dough to the edges until you have an even block. Refrigerate for 3 hours, or ideally overnight. A longer chill is preferable to relax the gluten.
4. Once both have chilled, remove the butter block from the fridge, it needs to be 9–10°C (48–50°F) before using. Once it is close to temperature, remove the dough from the fridge; this needs to be at 6–7°C (43–45°F).
5. Place the dough block in the centre of the butter and fold the butter over, sealing the seam with your fingers. Be quite generous with flouring the work surface and the dough here, or the butter will stick.
6. Rotate the dough 90 degrees so the seam is facing you horizontally, and use a sharp knife to score the edges of the dough where it is folded over the butter. This will release tension and make it easier to roll.
7. Lightly roll the dough to give it some slight width, then rotate the dough 90 degrees again so the seam is now vertically in line with your body.
8. Roll the dough lengthways into a long rectangle, being liberal with the flour so that it doesn’t stick, until it reaches a thickness of about 5–7mm. Use a sharp knife to trim off any wonky ends and dust off any excess flour.
9. Perform a double fold, folding one side of the dough up about 1/5th of the way, bringing the opposite side over to meet it, and then folding the whole piece in half. Wrap the dough tightly in cling film, and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes, then into the fridge for 10 minutes.
10. Remove the dough from the fridge, and with the open seam facing you (i.e if you were looking at the dough straight on, you would be able to see where it has been folded over itself), use a sharp knife again, to score the edges of the dough where it is folded.
11. Turn the dough 90 degrees so the open seam is now horizontal to you and give the dough a quick roll, to give it a little bit of width.
12. Turn the dough 90 degrees again so the open seam is facing you again and begin to roll the dough. Roll the dough into a long even rectangle, very very lightly flouring it, just as we did in step 8.
13. Perform another double fold, and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes, then into the fridge for 10 minutes.
14. Repeat this process one more time, but finishing with a single fold rather than a double fold. To do this, take one-third of the dough and fold it up, then take the other third of dough and fold this over the top.
15. Wrap the dough tightly in clingfilm and refrigerate, ideally overnight. Again, a longer chill helps to relax the gluten.
Almond Cream
1. Into a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and icing sugar on a medium-low speed until smooth, 1-2 minutes.
- 55g Unsalted Butter, Soft
- 55g Icing Sugar
2. Scrape down the sides and add the ground almonds and cornstarch, then mix again just until combined.
- 130g Ground Almonds
- 10g Cornstarch/Cornflour
3. Finally pour in the eggs and beat until it is evenly combined.
- 45g Whole Eggs, Room Temperature
4. Cover this and set it to one side at room temperature.
Assembly
1. Preheat the oven to180C/355F Non-Fan assisted (165C/330 Fan).
2. Remove the puff pastry from the fridge and lightly flouring it, roll it into a rough square shape, around 3-4mm thick.
3. Using a 12cm/4.5” cookie cutter, cut 6 discs of pastry and lift these onto a baking tray lined with a silicon baking mat (or a perforated tray lined with a perforated baking mat). Cut more discs if you have enough dough.
4. Add the pistachio cream into a piping bag, and pipe and even layer into the centre of the puff pastry, leaving about a 1.5cm/0.6” border around the outside.
5. Take the apples and core them, then cut them in half. Next, thinly slice them with a knife or a mandolin.
6. Stack the apple slices together, fanning them apart just slightly and place enough into the tart to cover the pistachio cream, but avoid going over the border of puff pastry.
7. Whisk the egg wash ingredients together and with a pastry brush, very lightly brush the border of puff pastry. You can sprinkle some coarse brown/demerara sugar over the top too for some added crunch, or even toasted flaked almonds.
- 35g Egg Yolks
- 30g Double/Heavy Cream
8. Place these into the centre of the oven and bake for around 35-40 minutes, or until a golden brown colour.
9. Remove them from the oven and lift them onto a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes, then serve. They can be eaten warm or you can allow them to cool completely. Before serving, add a dusting of icing/powdered sugar to finish.
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île Flottante
TIER 1
île Flottante
For Tier 1 I decided to try a twist on the classic Île Flottante, inspired by working in the kitchen with Tom Aiken. Typically made by poaching a meringue and serving it in a warm bowl crème anglaise, this version is much more refined, with a Swiss meringue that is cut into a perfect disc. We fill the centre with crème anglaise and then top it with a thin caramel disc and clear caramel sauce.
4
INDIVIDUAL DESSERTS
Ingredients
Makes 4 île Flottantes
Crème Anglaise
125g Double Cream
250g Whole Milk
75g Caster/White Sugar
75g Egg Yolks
1 Fresh Vanilla Pod
Pinch of Flaky Sea Salt
Caramel Sauce
200g Caster/White Sugar
60g Water
100g Water
Caramel Discs
70g Caster/White Sugar
70g Liquid Glucose
Swiss Meringue
300g Egg Whites
205g Caster/White Sugar
5g White Vinegar
Roasted & Chopped Almonds or Hazelnuts To Serve
Special equipment
Digital thermometer
13″ x 9″ x 2” baking dish
Stand mixer
Blender
9cm/3.5” cookie cutter
Piping bag
Method
Crème Anglaise
1. Into a medium saucepan, add the milk, cream and beans scraped from a fresh vanilla pod (keep the leftover vanilla pod as we will use this in the caramel sauce). Place this onto a medium low heat, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, add the egg yolks and sugar to a medium bowl and whisk for 30 seconds to combine.
3. Once the cream is hot, slowly pour it over the egg yolk mixture, whisking to combine.
4. Pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan and whisk until it reaches between 82-85C (180-185F) on a digital thermometer.
5. Immediately remove it from the heat and pass it through a sieve into a clean bowl. Whisk through a pinch of salt.
6. Place a sheet of clingfilm on the surface and refrigerate the mixture for at least an hour. Alternatively, place it over a bowl of ice water and that will thicken it quickly.
Caramel Sauce
1. Into a small saucepan, add 100g of water, along with the leftover vanilla pod from above. Place this over a low heat so that it becomes steamy.
2. Meanwhile, add the remaining 60g of water and sugar into a medium saucepan. Place it on a medium heat, and cook it to 180C/355F on a digital thermometer. This will be a light golden colour.
3. Whisk in the hot vanilla water and cook for a further 30 seconds. Pour it through a sieve, into a clean bowl. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and refrigerate it for at least an hour. Alternatively, place it over a bowl of ice water and that will thicken it quickly.
Caramel Discs
1. Into a medium saucepan, add the glucose and sugar.
2. Place it over a medium heat and allow the mixture to bubble up and start to caramelise.
3. Once it begins to go a light golden colour you can stir it.
4. Stir it occasionally until it turns a deep golden colour, then immediately remove it from the heat and pour it onto a silicon mat.
5. Allow it to set at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Swiss Meringue
1. Take a 13x9x2” baking dish (something deep), and very lightly grease the bottom with butter and place a sheet of parchment along the base. Pre-heat the oven to 160C/320F non-fan assisted.
2. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites, sugar and vinegar.
3. Place this over a pan of gently simmering water and whisk constantly until it reaches around 60-65C (140-149F) on a digital thermometer.
4. Immediately remove it from the heat and place it onto the stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk for 5 minutes on a medium high speed, until it is thick and glossy and holds a medium stiff peak. Be very careful not to over whisk this as it is a slightly lower amount of sugar, so we don’t want to make the meringue go grainy by mixing it for too long.
5. Tip the meringue into the lined baking tray and use a palette knife to smooth it so it is flat.
6. Place it into the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, until it is a light golden brown colour on top. Remove it from the oven but leave the oven on.
Assembly
1. While the meringue is cooling, blend the caramel to a fine powder. Take a sieve, and sieve the powder in an even layer onto a baking tray lined with a silicon mat. You may not need all of the caramel powder.
2. Use a 9cm/3.5” cookie cutter to create indents in the powder, gently shimmying it around to create a circular outline.
3. Place the tray into the oven and bake for 2-4 minutes, or until the caramel powder has just melted and it is a glass like consistency. Remove the tray from the oven and allow it to cool.
4. Pour the chilled creme anglaise into a small saucepan and just gently stir it over a low heat until it is steaming, then transfer it into a serving jug.
5. Scoop the thickened caramel sauce into a piping bag and set this to one side.
6. The meringue should have cooled for around 10-15 minutes now.
7. Use the 9cm/3.5” cookie cutter which is slightly warm, to cut 4 discs.
8. The easiest way to remove them is to pull away the excess meringue around the disc, then carefully slide a palette knife underneath the disc, and lift it onto your serving plate.
9. Use a teaspoon to dig a hole out of the centre of each meringue disc, but do not cut all the way through to the bottom.
10. Pour the warm creme anglaise into the hole, then with a palette knife, slide it underneath a caramel disc and place this on top.
11. Cut a small hole in the end of the piping bag, and drizzle this across the caramel disc.
12. Finally finish with a sprinkle of roasted nuts for texture and serve immediately.
Vanilla Danish Twist
TIER 1
Vanilla Danish Twist
This recipe is all about the dough. We walk through hand lamination step-by-step, so make sure to watch the video before diving in. Once the dough is ready, we use a simple shaping technique to twist the dough, then finish the flakey pastry with a simple vanilla glaze. I think these are the perfect breakfast pastry, so I suggest wrapping them up once baked and leaving them at room temperature, then glazing them the next morning!
8-10
TWISTS
Ingredients
Makes 8-10 Twists
Danish Pastry Détrempe (Dough)
565g Strong White Bread Flour
30g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
14g Instant Dry Yeast
230g Whole Milk
65g Whole Eggs
38g Caster Sugar
12g Sea Salt
Buerrage (Butter Block)
250g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
25g Plain/All Purpose Flour
Vanilla Icing
400g Icing Sugar
Whole Milk
1 Vanilla Pod
Pinch of Fine Sea Salt
Special equipment
Stand mixer
Rolling pin
Digital thermometer
Ruler
Method
Danish Dough
1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add all of the ingredients for the dough. Start with the wet ingredients on the bottom and the dry on top as it makes it easier for everything to incorporate.
2. Knead the mixture on a medium speed, for 6-8 minutes, until the dough feels smooth and elastic, passing the window pane test when you stretch a small piece of the dough. The dough is quite low hydration so initially may look quite dry but should pull together. If it does appear too dry, add up to 20g more milk to help pull it together.
3. Remove the dough from the mixer and briefly knead it on the work surface. Shape it into a rough rectangle, then wrap it in clingfilm, but not too tightly as it will need some room to proof. Place it onto a baking tray and refrigerate overnight. Alternatively if you want to do this whole process in one day, you can chill it for 3 hours.
Buerrage (Butter Block)
1. For the butter block, start by preparing your parchment paper. Take a large sheet, and with a marker, draw a 17.5x20cm square. Flip the paper over so the pen is facing the work surface.
2. Add the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the flour on top, and beat briefly, to combine them and there are no streaks of flour.
3. Scoop the mixture into the centre of the parchment. Wrap the excess parchment around the butter, folding the edges in to match the guides of the neat square you drew. It can help to tape the edges together to stop the parchment paper from moving around or opening up as you roll.
4. Flip it back over and use a rolling pin to roll the butter, pushing it to the edges and creating an even layer of butter across the rectangle of parchment. Place this in the fridge to chill for at least an hour or again, ideally overnight.
Lamination
1. When you are ready to laminate, remove the butter from the fridge, it needs to be 13-14C (55-57F) when you insert a digital thermometer. If it is too cold it will shatter when you start to laminate.
2. Just before it is at temperature, remove the dough from the fridge. Lightly flour it and roll it to just over double the length of the butter, 44cm, but the same width, 17.5cm.
3. The dough will be slightly curved at the top when you roll it out, so I like to trim the dough down, so that it is 40cm in total length. This then gives you a really neat rectangle to fold over your butter.
4. When the butter is at temperature, place it into the centre of the dough and then fold the edges of the dough so they meet in the centre of the butter.
5. Pinch the dough together to form a seam. Using a sharp knife, score the folded edges of the dough.
6. With this seam facing towards you, turn the dough 90 degrees so the seam is now horizontal to your body and give the dough a quick roll, to give it a little bit of width.
7. Turn the dough 90 degrees again so the seam is vertical in line with your body and begin to roll the dough. Working relatively quickly. Apply even pressure and roll the dough into a long even rectangle, flouring very lightly if needed.
8. Don’t focus too much on the length of the rectangle, but more on getting it into an even rectangle that ends up around 5mm thick (0.2”).
9. Once you are happy with the thickness and shape, dust off any excess flour with a brush, and if the ends of the dough have gone a bit wonky, cut them off so you have straight edges on either side.
10. Perform a single fold of the dough, where you take one-third of the dough and fold it up, then take the other third of dough and fold this over the top. This is called a ‘single fold or ‘single turn’.
11. Wrap the dough tightly in cling film, and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes, then into the fridge for 10 minutes.
12. Remove the dough from the fridge, and with the open seam facing you (i.e if you were looking at the dough straight on, you would be able to see where it has been folded over itself), use a sharp knife again, to score the edges of the dough where it is folded.
13. Turn the dough 90 degrees so the open seam is now horizontal to you and give the dough a quick roll, to give it a little bit of width.
14. Turn the dough 90 degrees again so the open seam is facing you again and begin to roll the dough. Roll the dough into a long even rectangle, very very lightly flouring it, just as we did in step 7.
15. Wrap the dough tightly in cling film, and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes, then into the fridge for 10 minutes.
16. Repeat steps 12-14 one more time, completing 3 single folds in total. Chill the dough in the fridge for 1 hour.
17. Lightly flour the chilled dough, and use a sharp knife to score the folded edges of the dough to release the tension.
18. Roll the dough out, so that it is roughly 25cm tall, and 8-10mm thick. Don’t worry about the length.
19. Once you are at the correct thickness, trim the edges of the dough so you are left with a rectangle that is 20cm tall.
20. Then cut the rectangle into 4cm wide strips.
21. Use a sharp knife to cut a slit down the centre of each rectangle.
22. Lift up each piece of dough and take one edge, and fold it over and through the slit to the other side, then feed the opposite edge under and through the slit. Pull both ends gently to tighten, which will form the twist.
23. Line two trays with baking paper and place the twists on, evenly spaced out, 4 per tray.
24. Place the trays into the oven, switched off, and place a small cup of boiling water in the bottom. Change this every 30-45 minutes, proofing the twists until they have puffed up and the layers appear to be separating slightly. It can take 3-4 hours, but don’t worry too much about overproofing them as the dough is resilient.
25. Remove them from the oven and preheat it to 185C/365F fan assisted. Once the oven is hot, load the trays into the oven, and immediately drop the oven temperature to 170C/340F. Bake the danishes for 15-20 minutes, or until they are an even golden brown colour.
26. Once baked, remove them from the oven and carefully lift them onto a wire rack to cool slightly. Keep the oven on.
Vanilla Icing
1. Into a large bowl, add the icing/powdered sugar, salt, beans from a fresh vanilla pod and then slowly start adding milk. Whisk the mixture, adding enough milk until you have a runny, glue-like consistency.
2. Keep the danishes on a wire rack, but place a tray underneath.
3. Pour the glaze over the top of each danish, coating them completely. If you need, scoop up the excess glaze from the tray underneath, and re-use it to glaze any remaining danishes.
4. Place them back into the oven, just for 1-2 minutes, until the glaze goes slightly transparent.
5. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for a few minutes then serve.
Note – the process can be quite long, that you end up finishing the danishes quite late which is not the ideal time to eat them (!). What I like to do is to bake the danishes, then wrap the tray tightly once they are cool and leave them at room temperature overnight. The next morning, I heat the oven to 175C/345F and just place them back in for 3-5 minutes, until they feel hot to the touch, then glaze them.
Alternatively you can freeze them once baked, and then just reheat them for longer in the oven (8-15 minutes).
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Lemon Meringue Tart
TIER 1
Lemon Meringue Tart
Lemon meringue tart is something I’ve been a bit hesitant to make before – I always thought there was way too much meringue, and it was overly sweet, so it was my mission to be proved wrong! The lemon filling is slightly richer than my Dad’s recipe, with more egg yolks which means it sets slightly firmer. We make a Swiss meringue for the topping, but with less sugar, which we press flat against the filling to create a more modern design.
1
9-INCH TART
Ingredients
Makes 1 9-inch tart
Lemon Sweet Pastry
100g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
70g Icing/Powdered Sugar, Sifted
Pinch of Fine Sea Salt
Zest ½ Lemon
50g Egg Yolk
200g Plain, All Purpose Flour
Egg Wash
40g Egg Yolk
10g Double/Heavy Cream
Lemon Filling
160g Whole Eggs
120g Egg Yolks
230g Caster/ White Sugar
200g Double/Heavy Cream
6g Lemon Zest
150g Lemon Juice
Swiss Meringue
100g Egg Whites
100g Caster/White Sugar
Special equipment
Stand mixer
9-inch fluted tart ring
Hand blender
Baking beans
Blow torch
Digital thermometer
Method
Lemon Sweet Pastry
1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, icing sugar, salt and lemon zest. With the paddle attachment, beat the mixture for 2-3 minutes, scraping it down a few times in between, until you have a smooth paste.
2. Add in the egg yolks, and beat again, until the mixture is evenly combined, you will need to scrape down the bowl a few times again.
3. Tip in the flour, and use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure the butter doesn’t get stuck. Scrape the sides, and then mix on a low speed until it pulls together to form a dough.
4. Scoop the dough out onto your work surface, and give it a quick knead just to bring it together. Shape it into a disc and warp it in clingfilm, before refrigerating for an hour or longer.
5. Once it’s chilled, remove it from the fridge and let it soften slightly at room temperature. The dough needs to be cold but flexible. If it is too cold when you roll it, it will crack.
6. Flour the dough and your rolling pin and applying even pressure, roll the dough out into a large, rough circle shape, around 3-5mm thick.
7. Working quickly, carefully lift this into a 23cm fluted tart ring on a baking tray. Use your fingers to press the dough into the side of the tin, then with the excess dough, fold it to create a thick rim around the outside of the tin. We will remove this excess later, but it will help to prevent the dough from shrinking as it bakes.
8. Dock the bottom of the pastry with a fork, and then freeze it for 30 minutes.
9. Preheat the oven to 175C Non-fan assisted (345F or 160C fan-assisted).
Lemon Filling
1. Into a large measuring jug, add the cream, sugar, eggs and egg yolks and blend until smooth.
2. Add in the lemon juice and zest, and blend again to combine, avoiding adding too many air bubbles.
3. Place a sheet of clingfilm on the surface, and refrigerate until needed.
Pastry Continued
1. Once the pastry has chilled, scrunch a large circle of parchment/baking paper up, then press it firmly into the tart. Fill it to the top with baking beans or rice.
2. Place it into the centre of the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and beans, then bake for a further 5-10 minutes until it is a pale golden brown.
3. Whisk together the egg wash ingredients, then brush these all over the tart. Bake for a further 8-15 minutes, or until it is a deep golden colour.
4. As soon as it is out of the oven, use a serrated knife, holding it against the edge of the tin, and carefully trim off the excess pastry. Brush out any crumbs. Lower the oven temperature to 110C Non-fan assisted (230F or 95C fan-assisted).
5. Remove the lemon filling from the fridge and peel off the clingfilm. Scoop off any remaining bubbles with a spoon, then pour the mixture into a medium saucepan.
6. Place the pan onto a medium low heat and stir constantly until it reaches 40C/104F on a digital thermometer.
7. Immediately remove it from the heat and gently pour it through a sieve, back into a tall measuring jug.
8. Place the tart shell, on a tray, into the centre of the oven and pour the lemon filling in. Use a blow torch to pop any remaining bubbles.
9. Bake for around 55 minutes, or until the filling has just set when you gently wobble the tray.
10. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature, before refrigerating for 1-2 hours.
Swiss Meringue
1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer (or a medium bowl if using an electric hand whisk), add the egg whites and sugar.
2. Place this over a pan of gently simmering water, whisking constantly until it reaches 65C/149F on a digital thermometer.
3. Immediately remove it from the heat, and place it onto a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk for 5-7 minutes, until you have a medium stiff peak.
4. Remove the lemon tart from the fridge and with it still in the tin, spread the meringue over the top. Then using a large offset spatula, starting at one edge, press it firmly against the rim of the tin and drag it firmly across the tin, to smooth the top. You can do this a few times if needs be.
5. Use a blow torch to caramelise the meringue to an even golden brown colour. Alternatively place it under a hot grill, keeping a very very close eye on it.
6. Remove the tart from the tin and slice it with a hot knife to serve.
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Bagels
TIER 1
Bagels
This dough starts with a poolish, which is a type of pre-ferment – a little like a sourdough starter – that adds a real depth to the flavour of the bread. The dough is then shaped and poached to get that iconic bagel texture. You can go to town on the toppings here, my favourite is Everything Bagel seasoning, which you can either buy online or make yourself!
8
BAGELS
Ingredients
Makes 8 Bagels
Poolish
290g Water
3.5g Instant Dry Yeast/7g Fresh Yeast
185g Strong White Bread Flour
Dough
315g Strong White Bread Flour
10g Fine Sea Salt
20g Diastatic Malt Powder (Optional)
Poaching Liquid
3 Litres Water
1 ½ Tbsp Barley Malt Extract
1 Tbsp Baking Soda
Pinch of Salt
Bagel Seasoning To Finish
Special equipment
Stand mixer
Method
Poolish
1. Into a small bowl, add the yeast and water. Stir it together to dissolve, then add in the flour. Whisk this through with a hand whisk to create a wet batter with no lumps of flour.
2. Cover the bowl with a sheet of cling film and leave it at room temperature for 3 hours. After 3 hours you should see lots of bubbles on the surface and the mixture will have puffed up.
Dough
1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the poolish that has bubbled up, and the remaining ingredients. It is ideal to use diastatic malt powder here to help with the flavour and the colouring of the bagels. You can leave it out, or add a little bit of barley malt syrup instead (2 tsp) as a replacement.
2. Attach the dough hook and mix on a medium speed for 10-12 minutes, until the dough is smooth and when you take a small piece of dough and stretch it between your fingers, it passes the window pane test.
3. Shape the dough into a ball, and then place it into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl and chill the dough for 30 minutes in the fridge.
4. Once chilled, cut the dough into 100g pieces, and roll them into tight balls.
5. Place them onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper, and lightly spray the top with cooking oil. If you don’t have cooking spray you can very lightly brush them with any type of neutral oil.
6. Cover the surface with cling film and refrigerate again for 30 minutes.
7. Take the chilled dough, and use your finger to press a hold in the centre. Then place both index fingers in the hole and spin them around, to create a large hole in the centre of the bagel. The hole needs to be bigger than you think as it will shrink as it proofs and bakes.
8. Place the donuts back onto a tray, lightly oil and cover them with cling film again. Proof for 30 minutes at room temperature, before placing them in the fridge overnight or for 12 hours.
9. The next day, prepare a large baking tray with your chosen bagel toppings. Preheat the oven to 220C/430F Non-Fan assisted.
10. Take a large pot and add the water, malt extract, baking soda and salt. Bring this to a gentle simmer.
11. Working in batches, poach the bagels in the liquid, for 60 seconds on each side (I do two batches of 3 bagels, then a final batch of 2 bagels).
12. Immediately remove them from the liquid using a slotted spoon, and lift them directly onto a wire rack to drain briefly.
13. Next, working quickly, lift them into your bagel seasoning. Flip the bagels to ensure they are evenly coated in the seasoning. Lift the coated bagels onto a baking tray lined with a sheet of parchment paper.
14. Bake the bagels for 20-22 minutes, or until they are a deep golden brown colour. Note – you’ll probably only be able to fit 6 bagels on your baking tray at a time, so I bake 6 bagels first, leaving the remaining 2 bagels in the fridge, before poaching and baking them. Alternatively, you can bake all 8 at once on two separate trays, ensuring you swap the trays over halfway through the bake.
15. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool or serve slightly warm. These are best stored in an airtight container and eaten within 48 hours but may need to be heated up slightly if left for over a day.
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