Wild Blueberry & Lavender Sourdough Bagels.

I had quite a few failed attempts to get these beauties right; but I’m so glad I stuck with it. These are the perfect, nourishing breakfast accompaniment to some grass-fed butter, cream cheese or your favourite spread.

I use wild blueberries from Mt Wilderberries; use code ALICIA10 to receive a 10% discount storewide.

Ingredients:

Bagel Dough

• 475g organic bread flour

• 325g filtered water

• 10g dried lavender flowers

• 150g frozen Mt Wilderberries Wild Blueberries

• 2 tbsp local honey

• 10g Celtic sea salt

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For Boiling:

• 1 tbsp local honey

• 1 tsp baking soda

Method:

• Mix your sourdough starter, water, and bread flour in a bowl. Cover and let it sit at room temperature for 4-6 hours or overnight until it's bubbly and active.

• In a small saucepan, heat filtered water with the lavender flowers until just simmering. Let it steep for 10 minutes, then strain the lavender and allow the water to cool.

• In a large bowl, combine the active starter with the lavender-infused water and honey. Stir in the flour and salt, mixing until a dough forms.

• Knead the dough for about 8-10 minutes until it's smooth and elastic. Add the olive oil to make the dough more pliable.

• Gently fold in the wild blueberries until evenly distributed throughout the dough.

• Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let it ferment at room temperature for 3-4 hours, performing stretch and folds every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours.

• Once the dough has doubled in size, divide it into 6-8 equal portions.

• Shape each portion into a ball, then poke a hole through the centre of each ball and gently stretch it into a bagel shape.

• Place the shaped bagels on a baking tray, cover them with a damp towel, and refrigerate overnight (12-18 hours) for a slow, cold fermentation.

• Preheat your oven to 220c

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, adding honey and baking soda to the water. This gives the bagels their chewy texture.

• Boil the bagels 2-3 at a time, cooking them for 1 minute on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon and place them back on the baking tray.

• Bake the bagels for 20-25 minutes, until they're golden brown and have a firm crust.

• Let the bagels cool on a wire rack. Serve with butter, cream cheese, or your favorite spread!