New York Style Bagels

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tsp instant active dry yeast
• 12 oz warm water (not boiling)
• 22 oz or approx. 4 cups flour - ideally bread flour, but all purpose if you don't have any
• 1 egg (this is optional, and can be left out, but adds density and moisture)
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tablespoon honey (can substitute malt syrup)

(Plus 2 tbsp honey and 3 tablespoons cornmeal to finish)


Instructions

• Dissolve the honey into the warm water and mix in the yeast, in a small bowl or measuring cup. After 5-10 minutes it will start to foam. (If it does not, discard and try again with new yeast.)
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a larger bowl or stand mixer, combine flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture and and egg, and mix thoroughly until the dough starts to come together (about 4 min on lowest speed with hook attachment, if using a mixer). Then continue to mix or knead until the dough is cohesive, smooth and stiff.
• Turn the dough out onto a work surface, then divide into equal portions depending how large you want the bagels to be (I divide into 16; 8 would make larger store-size bagels). Roll the pieces into smooth balls and cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel to rest at room temperature for five minutes.
• One by one, remove dough balls from plastic wrap and use your finger to poke a hole in the middle. Smooth out the dough into a bagel shape, trying to keep each ring about the same thickness all around, and remember to make the hole large enough to allow room for the bagel to swell quite a bit. Place the rings on the baking sheet as they're completed, with enough space between they are not touching (they may puff up slightly). Cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and leave to rise for 30-60 minutes on the counter, or refrigerate overnight.
• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 425F and fill a large pot with enough water to at least twice the height of a bagel and 2-3 tbsp of honey (or malt syrup). Bring this to the boil over high heat, then drop the bagel rings in 3 or 4 at time (depending on size of your pot). Make sure they don't stick to the bottom of the pan. Leave about 30-60 seconds, turning over once, then remove with a slotted spoon and place on a rack to drain. The boiling will puff up the bagels somewhat - longer boiling will make larger bagels but less dense, so don't over-boil.
•  Once all the bagels are boiled, scatter the cornmeal onto the parchment paper in the baking tray and place the bagels on the tray, spacing out so they're not touching.
•  Bake on the middle shelf for 12-15 minutes, until browning.

After boiling, but before baking:

After baking: