Bagels

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Bagels

Ingredients

• 2 tsp. active dry yeast
• 1 ½ tsp. sugar
• 1 ¼ C. warm water (¼ C. extra if needed)
• 3 ½ C. bread flour
• 1 ½ tsp. salt

Instructions

1. Measure out ½ C. warm water. Add the sugar and yeast. Do not stir and let sit for 5 min. Then stir until mixture dissolves.
2. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well and add the yeast mixture and the rest of the water (¾ C.)
3. Mix to combine and add extra water if needed to create a firm, moist dough.
4. On a floured surface, knead dough for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Try to work in as much flour as possible for a firm stiff dough.
5. Coat bowl with oil and use that to coat the dough. Cover dough and let rise for 1 hour until the dough doubles in size.
6. Punch the dough down and let it rise again for another 10 minutes.
7. Divide the dough into even pieces (Makes 8 larger or 12 smaller). Roll each bit of dough into a ball or pinch all the ends together to make a smooth ball. Then pull the dough apart in the middle and create a bagel shape. At this point, the bagels may be refrigerated on a covered baking sheet for baking the next morning.
8. Preheat oven to 425F. Bring a pot of water to boil. Once the water is at a boil, slowly add baking soda to the water (2 T. or so), taking care as the baking soda will react with the water.
9. Gently drop the bagels into the boiling water upside down. Once the pot has a few bagels in (I did 4 small bagels), wait 10 seconds and then flip the bagels. Wait another 10 seconds and remove the bagels from the water. Bagels should remain in the water for about 1 minute (for slightly chewy bagels) or 2 minutes (for really chewy bagels).
10. After the bagels are removed from the water, let excess water drain off on a cooling rack. Once all the bagels are boiled, place them on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper and bake them for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
11. Let cool and enjoy. If there are leftovers, store in a sealed container.