Bagels with Tomatoes and Homemade Pesto

For the bagels:

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the self-raising flour (or regular flour + baking powder) and a pinch of salt.
3. Add in the New Roots Nature yogurt and mix until the dough comes together. Knead gently until smooth.
4. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions and shape them into bagel rounds.
5. Place the bagels on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
6. Brush the bagels with remaining yogurt and add toppings of choice like sesame or poppy seeds
7. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes. Then turn the heat up to 250°C and cook for another 3 minutes until golden.
8. Remove from the oven, cover them with a kitchen towel and let them cool slightly before slicing.

For the pesto :

1. Add all ingredients to the mortar and grind them with a circular motion until they break down and become a paste. All the ingredients should be well combined. Stop when the pesto reaches your desired consistency.
2. You can also do this in a food processor.

Assembly:

1. Slice the cooled bagels in half.
2. Spread a generous layer of La Cotta on the bottom half of each bagel.
3. Top the La Cotta with sliced tomatoes and a generous amount of pesto, shaved almonds, lemon zest
4. Place the top half of the bagel over the fillings. Enjoy!!