Home-baked Bagels

Total Time: 2 hrs 5 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr 30 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 packages yeast
• 1 1/2 ounces sugar (you need a kitchen scale for this)
• 1/2 ounce salt (you need a kitchen scale for this)
• 3 1/2 cups bread flour
• 2 quarts water, to boil
• 1 egg
• cinnamon (optional)
• raisins (optional)
• poppy seed (optional)
• dried onion or garlic (optional)
• sesame seeds (optional)

Recipe

• 1 mix yeast, sugar and warm water together and let stand 3 minutes.
• 2 mix 2 cups of flour with the salt in a large bowl and add the yeast mixture.
• 3 stir until combined and slowly mix in the rest of the flour (if making cinnamon raisin bagels, add these to dough now).
• 4 knead on a floured surface for 5 minutes, adding additional flour if needed, dough should be firm.
• 5 place dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rise until double.
• 6 after rising punch down and divide dough into 12 balls.
• 7 allow to rest for 4 minutes.
• 8 bring 2 quarts of water to boil.
• 9 with your thumb, make a hole in each ball of dough and pull open about 2 inches, making a bagel shape.
• 10 preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• 11 place the shaped dough onto a cookie sheet and cover for 10 minutes.
• 12 lower heat under water for it to be simmering.
• 13 drop 2 or 3 bagels at a time into the water for about 45 seconds, turning each once.
• 14 drain and place on greased baking sheets.
• 15 brush tops with beaten egg and top with optional toppings.
• 16 bake for 35 minutes, turning once for even browning.
• 17 bagels are done when they are golden brown and shiny.