I’m not the best I can be at the moment. I can get very irritated and not fully enjoy things when I have deadlines, that for the love of God I wish could pass me by without noticing. I’m trying to get through these last two weeks of the academic year without the temptation of storming into my tutors office and screaming “WILL BAKE FOR A PASS!!”

I publicly apologise to those few close homefries that I have blown away by the sudden outbursts of anger/stress/rants etc etc that I’ve had in sporadic moments over the past few (and maybe forthcoming weeks) ahead.

To those I have mentioned, congratulations. UNI IS OVER! I wish I could bake a big cake for you all and join you in the glorious afterglow of finishing this chapter in life. I’ll be there, in time.

On the bright side, I have been basking in copious amounts of Power Ballads and down to earth, powerful tones of country/folk music. It has seriously soothed my anxious nights and calmed the mind.

A sandwich for the ears.

TALKING OF SANDWICHES

I’ve been making a hell of a lot of bread. So my skills now consist of many a type of bread, of which I’m quite proud of. With just flour, yeast, sugar and salt, I’ve accomplished so many varieties with so many more to master.

Anyone for bagels? Bagels originated in Krakow, Poland.( I am hoping this comes up in a pub quiz soon)  These specific ones are called “New York Bagels” As if New York don’t have enough, they have to take the bagel from those poor Polish.

Bon Appetit!

I had these with a salmon cream cheese, here is the recipe!

 Ingredients (Adapted from the WI bread book) Makes 8 bagels.

450g strong white bread flour

3 tablespoons caster sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/4 teaspoons fast action dried yeast

300ml warm water

For the glaze:

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon water

Line two baking trays with parchment paper, or grease if there is a lack of parchment in your dwelling,

Place the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl, mix together, then add the yeast at the last minute and continue to mix together. Add the water and mix to the soft dough.

On an unfloured surface knead the dough for a good 10 minutes until smooth.

Pour a little oil into the bottom of the bowl and place the dough in, cover with clingfilm and leave to prove until doubled in size.

Then knock the dough back for a couple of minutes to even out any air bubbles. Half the dough then divide each half into four to make in the end 8 bagels.

Form into a ball shape, then with a chopstick/any long stick like object you can find pierce a hole in the middle (this is the fun bit) and whiz the dough around, sort of like you’re hula hooping it, this will form the desired bagel shape.

Once this has been done to each piece of dough, place them onto the baking sheet, cover and leave to rest until they have grown just over half of their original shape.

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6/200 C/400 F and bring a large pan of water to the boil.

Once boiling transfer each bagel (one at a time) or however many you can fit in the pan and simmer for 30 seconds on each side. Drain with a slotted spoon and place back onto the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining bagels.

Beat together the egg yolk with a a tablespoon of water and glaze the bagels with a pastry brush, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 20 minutes until golden and place on a wire rack until cool, or eat warm!

This is a long but fun process, and they taste great, hope you enjoy!