Stuffed Bagel Rolls

Stuffed Bagel Rolls

Deliciously chewy bagel rolls stuffed with cheese and onion, or whatever you like!

Ingredients:

• 450g bread flour
• 1.5 tsp fine salt
• 280ml warm water
• 8g (one sachet) fast action dried yeast 
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• A little olive oil 
• 2 small or 1 large onion
• 2 cloves garlic 
• 90g grated cheddar cheese
• Seeds to top (optional) 

Method:

1. In a bowl, mix the water, yeast and sugar and leave for 10 minutes. It should start to develop a layer of foam in this time. 
2. Meanwhile, mix the flour with with salt. 
3. When the yeast has become foamy, pour the liquid into the flour and mix until it forms a dough. It should be firm but slightly sticky. If it it too sticky to handle, add a tiny bit more flour, but not too much! It will become less sticky as you knead!
4. Transfer to a floured worktop and knead for at least 10 minutes until it is soft. 
5. Roll into a bowl and leave to prove for around an hour in an oiled bowl. I leave mine in the oven with just the light on as this creates a good temperature for the bread to rise. 
6. Meanwhile, prep the filling - I chose cheese and onion but they are exceptionally good with ham, but other fillings such as sun-dried tomatoes would be delicious. Make sure you don't choose anything that has too much moisture in it however. 
7. Dice the onion and garlic really fine, and fry in a small amount of oil until soft, leave to cool.
8. Once the dough has proved, knock back the dough, roll it into a ball, and leave it again to prove for another 10 minutes. 
9. Pre-heat the oven to 220 C fan. 
10. Weigh the dough and then divide it into 8 equal pieces. 
11. Prepare a large pan of water, and bring it to the boil. 
12. Roll each piece into a ball and then use your hands to flatten it out. Holding it like a cup in one hand, add a small amount of cheese and a teaspoon of onion/garlic (or your own fillings)
13. Carefully use your other hand to pinch the dough from the outside and fold it into the centre of the dough, working around the roll until all of the filling is enclosed. You want to be very sure that it won't burst through, so pinch the bottom of the roll firmly with your fingers. 
14. Keep going until all 8 rolls are filled.
15. Depending on how large your pan of water is, add as many rolls as you can without letting them touch each other, and boil the rolls for 1 or 2 minutes on each side. The longer you boil them for, the chewier they are! 
16. Transfer them to a lined baking tray while you continue boiling the other rolls. 
17. If you wish, sprinkle the rolls with some seeds (poppy/linseed etc) or top with more onions or cheese. 
18. Bake for 15 minutes until they are golden brown. 
19. These are delicious straight from the oven! Enjoy!