Recreating the Most Famous Sandwich in London

The Brick Lane Salt Beef Bagel. This legendary sandwich, with its tender salt beef, fiery mustard, and soft bagel, has been a favourite for decades. In this video, we’ll take you to Brick Lane to explore its history, taste the original, and then bring the recipe to life in our kitchen.
Discover the secrets to perfectly brined salt beef, the science behind the bagel’s chewiness, and how to master this timeless recipe at home. Whether you’re a fan of London street food or love recreating iconic dishes, this is the ultimate guide to the salt beef bagel.
Get ready to sink your teeth into a slice of London’s culinary history.

VIDEO CHAPTERS
00:00 - The Brick Lane Salt Beef Bagel
00:36 - Preparing the Beef
01:25 - Making the Brine
02:43 - Brining & Curing the Beef
04:36 - Making the Bagels
07:38 - Cooking the Bagels
08:21 - Assembling the Bagel

INGREDIENTS
2kg Brisket
3 litres of cold water
2tbsp pink prague powder
200g Light brown sugar
300g Salt
2 Bay leaf
1/2 fresh ginger
2 Star Anise
5g Black Peppercorns
7g Mustard Seeds
1/2 Garlic Blub
7g Coriander Seeds

Bagel:
940g Strong bread flour
10g Malt flour
20g Salt
530g Warm Water (30c)
9g Fresh Yeast
3 litres Water
2tbsp Barley malt syrup
2tbsp Bicarbonate soda

Method:
1. Salt Beef: Add 1.5 litres of water to a large pot with salt, sugar, pink Prague powder, bay leaf, and the spices.
2. Bring the water to a boil, then add the garlic bulb and ginger. Once the water reaches a boil, take the pot off the heat and pour in the remaining cold water, which will help lower the temperature of the liquid. If not, place the liquid in the fridge to cool.
3. Score the brisket all around, then place the brisket in a plastic container and pour over the chilled liquid. Place the brisket in the fridge and allow it to cure for a minimum of 7 days to 2 weeks.
4. Preheat the oven to 120°C (248°F).
5. Take the brisket out of the curing liquid and place it in an oven-safe dish filled with water. Cook for 8 hours, or until tender.

1. Bagel: In a bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water and set aside. Mix together the bread flour, malt flour, and salt.
2. Combine the dough and knead for 10-12 minutes until the dough is homogeneous and the gluten is activated.
3. Allow the dough to rise for 1 hour.
4. Portion the dough into 120g balls and shape them into bagels.
5. Place the shaped bagels onto a baking mat, cover with a wide lid, and allow them to proof in the fridge for 24 hours.
6. Preheat the oven to 220°C (428°F).
7. Fill a large pot with 3 litres of water, add the barley malt syrup and bicarbonate of soda. Bring the mixture to a light simmer.
8. Gently place the proofed bagels topside up into the simmering liquid and cook for 30 seconds, then flip and cook the bottom side for 30 seconds. Repeat for the rest of the dough balls.
9. Place the bagels in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
10. Serve the bagels with sliced salt beef, pickles, and mustard.

[hairychris]

Used to live 5 mins away from Brick Lane in the mid 00s. Being able to go out 24hrs a day & pick up a dozen fresh bagels was the best!

[mattbrowne]

Absolutely love the culinary expertise applied here, the sandwich looks AMAZING. However it feels a but unfair to compare the two when they are mass producing to feed hundreds on a daily basis, and you are perfecting the art to make that one (or half dozen) sandwiches to perfection

[mlascelles]

Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure this is better than Beigel Bake, but the fact that they can serve what they do, 24 hours a day, is genuinely phenomenal! It would cost a fortune in most London spots, but they only charge £6.20!

[aaron]

This looks incredible. Any chance you could give us the recipe for your pickles?

[tchoo]

Excellent video! in Singapore we have hawkers who have perfected one dish over decades that many top chefs don't even bother to try to replicate. This is a great effort. Fallow is on my to-eat list when I next visit UK, great channel!

[confessionsofazoologist]

"not sure if this is traditional but it's quite fun" are words to live by

[BezTheChef]

I'm a huge fan from Eindhoven. You’ve shown me so many great tips! Thanks for sharing this recipe. I can’t wait to try it when I’m back in my kitchen. Much appreciated!

[StrobeFireStudios]

I actually made the trailer for a film called "Salt, Beef and Rye" back in 2016. This video was a refreshing review of a wonderful sandwich that's stood the test of time. Thank you Fallow and team!

[gman]

Nice idea, wouldn't mind seeing this for other popular foods found in London.

[bensmith]

Aaaaand thats a beautiful sunny day there in London again I see.

[daltonbrowne]

Went to Bagel Bake when I visited London in 2019. It was so good I went back two days later and bought three salt beef beigels for my train and ferry trip up to Dublin.

[PretzelGuy]

I loved Beigel Bake! I went multiple times when I was in London back in April!

[Bootmahoy]

I'm a super fan from the Bronx. You guys have taught me quite a lot. Thanks for this recipe. I'm gonna do it when I get back home. Cheers.

[bagpusscat]

We run a cattery in Shropshire, no way could we afford to eat at Fallow, but my god, you guys ROCK. I love your uploads, thank you xx

[ADDC-ru]

Full English mustard mixed with Mayonnaise is very nice you can alter the ratio to fit your taste, actually very nice on a toastie spread on the outside and caramelised

Ate at fallow last week while visiting from SF, it was absolutely amazing, my favorite was the Mushroom Parfait and the Steak and the Burger all amazing. Also the Cheese Tart was inspiring.

[teadrinkinglegninja]

Used to work at a bar round the corner from Beigel Bake - after close, two staff would head round and get team bagels. One to BB and one to Beigel Shop a couple of doors down (slightly different offerings). I always used to get salt beef, pickles and mustard from Beigel Bake then put a slice of cheddar on mine and blowtorch it. So good.

[itsdan]

Man i love this channel, its taught me so much about processes and the multiple different methods to make my cooking have that extra quality

[andersjjensen]

For "ultra messy, sloppy, gooey" bagels (or other warm sandwiches) I mix honey 1:5 with water and brush the cut surface before giving them a blitz in a hot oven. This makes the toast surface almost water proof. It's a balance between tasting burned and avoiding soggy bread, so a bit of trial an error is required. But once you get it right you can put pulled pork drowned in gravy in a sandwich and still have it hold up during eating.

[tomsiteuk]

I worked on Brick Lane for over 3 years and these bagels are from heaven. I probably tried each and every one and never I had to say nawww that is crap.