Who says bagels have to be round? Sales of cereal bars have rocketed in recent years, as people grab a snack on the way to work.

These fruit bagel bars could work in a similar way and contain an array of healthy ingredients, including fruit, seeds and nuts.

Don’t forget to put these healthy inclusions on the label or ticket when you display them.

Makes 110 bars

For the dough

Strong white flour - 3.2kg

Bagel base - 160g

Shortening - 576g

Sugar - 147g

Invert sugar - 128g

Fresh yeast - 120g

Whole liquid egg - 512g

Water - 1.3kg

Inclusions

Raisins - 1.152kg

Diced dried apricots - 450g

Honey pieces - 256g

Dried cranberries - 512g

Toasted sunflower seeds - 640g

Sesame seeds - 384g

Hulled millet - 384g

 

 

 

Walnut pieces - 384g

Frozen apple - 320g

Method

Mix the dough until well developed on a spiral mixer for three minutes fast and six minutes slow.

Add all the inclusions, except the apple, and mix well.Add the apple and gently mithrough the dough. Cut into manageable pieces and rest for 20 minutes.

Sheet out to about 15mm. Cut into desired shape to give a 90mm dough piece. Tray up and prove slowly or retard overnight.

Egg wash before baking. Place in the oven at 225ºC with maximum steam for around 18 minutes.

The steam helps to give the bars a chewy, bagel-like texture. Once baked, they can be frozen for up to six months, and then thaw and served.