Basic Milky Bagels & Sweet Red Bean Cream Cheese Bagels

Put all ingredients except the butter into the stand mixer bowl. Mix on low speed until no dry flour remains, then switch to medium speed and knead until the dough develops good gluten. Add the butter.

Continue kneading until the dough has good extensibility and reaches the extended stage. Shape the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rest for 3–5 minutes.

Weigh and divide the dough into 12 equal portions (6 basic milky bagels + 6 red bean cream cheese bagels).

Shape each portion into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for 5–10 minutes.

Roll each relaxed dough ball into an oval.

Flip it over and place it horizontally on the work surface, parallel to your body. As shown, place the cream cheese and sweet red beans on top. Leave a small section at the right end without any beans. PS: The cream cheese doesnt need extra sugar. Let it come to room temperature and cut into long strips; you can roll it gently by hand to adjust the length.

Roll up from top to bottom and pinch the seam tightly closed.

Using both palms, gently roll the dough into a log about 20 cm long. When rolling, taper the left end slightly, and flatten the right end with your palm, then roll it out thin with a rolling pin.

Bring the two ends together to form a ring. Wrap the tapered left end with the flattened right end.

Pinch the thinned area bit by bit to seal tightly and tidy up the shape.

Shape the 6 basic milky bagels as follows: Roll each relaxed dough ball into an oval.

Flip it over and place it horizontally on the work surface, parallel to your body. Roll up from top to bottom and pinch the seam tightly closed.

Using both palms, gently roll the dough into a log about 20 cm long. When rolling, taper the left end slightly, and flatten the right end with your palm, then roll it out thin with a rolling pin.

Bring the two ends together to form a ring. Wrap the tapered left end with the flattened right end. Pinch the thinned area bit by bit to seal tightly and tidy up the shape.

Shape all the bagels in turn and place them on pre-cut parchment squares (this makes them easier to handle when boiling later). Arrange them on a baking tray.

Cover with a proofing cloth and let rise in a warm place for about 20 minutes. When the proofing time is nearly up, start cooking the sugar water and preheat the convection oven to 2001C.

Add 50 g sugar to 1000 g water and heat until just below boiling, about 901C. Reduce to low heat and gently slide in the bagel dough rings. Boil one side for 30 seconds, then flip with a slotted spoon.

Boil the other side for 30 seconds, then remove from the pot.

Drain well and place on the baking tray. For the red bean cream cheese bagels, sprinkle sliced almonds on top immediately after removing them from the water, while still wet, for decoration.

Place in a preheated UKOEO Highbake GXT60 convection oven and bake at 1851C for 13 minutes.

Remove from the oven. For plain bagels without filling, once cooled, you can freeze any you wont eat the same day. Before eating, thaw at room temperature, spray with a little water, and reheat in the oven to restore the texture.