1) Tip the flour into a clean bow, then add the salt and mix. Make a well in the centre and add the dried yeast, a teaspoon of sugar and 1/3 of the lukewarm water. Mix the wet ingredients gently and let the yeast to activate, approximately 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, pour in the remaining water and bring all the ingredients together. Knead in the bowl until you get a smooth, elastic and non-sticky dough. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place for 60 minutes. The dough will double in size.

2) Once the dough has risen, preheat the oven to 200C / 180C fan.

3) The secret of a good bagel is that it is cooked in water with added sugar for about 2-3 minutes. Fill a large saucepan with enough water, add a teaspoon of sugar and bring it to a boil.

4) Tip the dough onto a clean floured surface and divide it into 8 equal pieces and form each piece into ball. Use a floured finger, or the end of a wooden spoon, to make a hole in the centre of each bagel. Swirl each bagel around to stretch the dough a little to achieve that perfect bagel shape. (You can create other shapes than just the typical round shape; e.g. a heart shape. In this case, roll a dough ball into a longer rope, then bring the ends together to create the desired shape.)

5) Once the water is boiling, place 3-4 of the bagels in the water at a time and boil for 2-3 minutes, turning over halfway through. Using a slotted spoon, lift out the bagels, drain well and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Brush bagels with some milk, then sprinkle with your choice of seeds.

6) Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack before serving. Enjoy!

This recipe has been prepared by @alishaeasycooking