Baking Bread: Poland

In the multimedia series "Baking Bread," EU correspondent Georg Matthes bakes 28 loaves from 28 EU countries and spices his baking instructions with typical anecdotes about each land. This time, he bakes Polish bagels.

Ingredients

• 355ml lukewarm water
• 25g baking malt, enzyme-active
• 690g flour (type 550)
• 12g salt
• 6g fresh yeast

For the preparation:

• 2 tbsp honey
• 50g enzyme-active baking malt
• sesame seeds, or
• poppy seeds
   

And here is how you make Polish bagels:

1. Dissolve the malt in lukewarm water in a bowl. Then add the fresh yeast.
2. Add flour and salt and knead the dough for 10 minutes in a food processor until it becomes elastic and separates from the bottom of the bowl.
3. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes and then divide into 9 pieces.
4. Form each piece into a ball with a little pressure between your fingers, not using any additional flour. Then, with wet hands, roll the balls out into 50 cm long strings.
5. Now form a loop in the middle of the string and wrap both ends three times around the loop. Finally tie the two ends together and roll over the spot again with your flat hand.
6. Let the bagels rest in the fridge under a kitchen towel for about 15 hours.
7. Preheat the oven to 240 °C, top and bottom heat.
8. Remove the bagels from the refrigerator half an hour before cooking.
9. Boil four liters of water and dissolve the honey and baking malt in it.
10. Now put two or three bagels into the boiling water with the tops down. Cook for 30 seconds on each side.
11. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Drain the bagels briefly and place on the baking tray. While they are still steaming, sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds.
12. Now place the bagles with the baking paper on a hot baking tray and place in the oven for 15 minutes. The bagles should turn golden brown.
13. Leave to cool on a kitchen rack.