Bacon, Egg and Cheese Bagels

Step 1

Place two oven racks in the middle positions. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Step 2

Arrange the bacon on 2 sheet trays. Using a pastry brush, brush both sides with the sambal. Bake, rotating the sheet trays and flipping the bacon, until golden brown and crispy, 25 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the bacon on a paper towel-lined plate or on a wire rack set over a baking sheet to cool and drain off excess oil.

Step 3

For the eggs: Brush the bottoms and sides of two 8-inch square baking pans with the melted butter. Set aside.

Step 4

Put the flour in a medium bowl and whisk in the milk a little at a time until smooth. Add the eggs, salt and pepper and whisk until smooth. Pour into the prepared baking pans and sprinkle the scallions over the top. Scatter the cream cheese evenly on top. Bake until the eggs are just set and the edges have just begun to pull away from the sides of the pans, 20 to 25 minutes. Finish with flakey salt. Cut each pan of eggs into 4 squares, for a total of 8.

Step 5

To assemble: Place each bagel cut-side up on a sheet of foil large enough to wrap the whole bagel. Add a slice of American cheese to each bottom half. Top each with a square of eggs. Top each with a slice of cheese and 3 slices of bacon. (Add ketchup and hot sauce too, if you like.) Wrap the bagels up in the foil. Slice and serve immediately with ketchup or hot sauce if you wish.

Step 6

In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, salt and yeast . Add the water and 1 tablespoon of the barley malt and mix to form a stiff dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and slightly sticky. Transfer to an oiled bowl, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Step 7

Let the dough sit at room temperature for an hour, then turn it out onto a clean work surface. Divide it into 8 equal parts and stretch them into smooth balls, making sure to seal any dough seams well. Shape the bagels by sticking your thumb through the center of each ball and using your fingers to gently stretch a 2-inch hole. Cover the bagels with a towel and let rise for 15 minutes.

Step 8

Arrange the oven racks in the upper middle and lower middle positions. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Step 9

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the baking soda and remaining tablespoon barley malt. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and grease them well. Lay out a clean kitchen towel near your pot of boiling water.

Step 10

Working with 3 bagels at a time, boil them for 1 minute on each side (use a timer for this). With a slotted spoon or spatula, transfer them briefly to the kitchen towel to catch any excess moisture, then transfer to the baking sheets.

Step 11

Brush the bagels with the egg white and sprinkle with the sesame seeds and salt. Bake the bagels for 10 minutes, then switch the positions and rotate the pans and bake until golden brown, 6 to 8 more minutes. Let cool slightly and enjoy!