Beagle Bagel

The name raises a smile but there’s more to it than that. Beagle Bagel is named after Mimi the dog, and the ethos of this Hills cafe owes a lot to her, from the alfresco dining for people and pets, to the water bowls dotted around.

Korean couple Park and Ilmi Kim opened on the site of an organic cafe that had been trading for 15 years, and were attracted to Glen Forrest’s strong sense of community.

Park, an engineer by trade, built the cafe’s gardens and furniture. Look for tables made from doors, chairs from pallets and other up-cycled pieces. There’s also a toy corner for kids.

Local roaster Dimattina supplies the beans, while cakes, slices and cold-pressed juices are also available, but most customers will be dropping in with one goodie in mind.

Kim begins the bagels by making a dough using strong flour and leaving it to rise in a warm part of the kitchen for several hours. The rings then go into the fridge to continue fermenting and developing flavour overnight. In the morning, they’re boiled for a minute each side to set the dough and give it a distinctive chewiness, before being baked. Thin and crisp on the outside, dense within, the finished product is a mighty endorsement for the joys of from-scratch cooking.

For sweet bagels, cinnamon and blueberry are mixed into the dough. For savoury breads, ingredients such as onion, garlic and cheese are sprinkled on top. Guests avoiding gluten haven’t been forgotten – Kim also bakes gluten-free bagels using cornflour and potato starch.