Bagels

DOUGH

1 tablespoon yeast

4 cups flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 1/3 cups lukewarm water (100-105 degrees)

WATER BATH

2 quarts water

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon sugar

1. Combine all of the dough ingredients and knead for 10 minutes with a dough hook or up to 15 minutes by hand to create gluten.  The dough will be stiff.
2. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and set it aside to rise until it's noticeably puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
3. Use silicone mats, lightly grease two baking sheets, or line them with parchment and grease the parchment. Divide it into eight pieces. 
4. Working with one piece at a time, roll it into a smooth, round ball. Place the balls on one of the prepared baking sheets. Cover the balls with plastic wrap, and let them rest for 30 minutes. They'll puff up very slightly.
5. While the dough is resting, prepare the water bath by heating the water and sugar to a very gentle boil in a large, wide-diameter pan.  I used my 5 1/2 qt dutch oven.
6. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
7. 
   
   
8. Poke a hole through the center of each ball using your finger. You can twirl the dough on your finger to stretch the hole.  
9. Transfer the bagels, four at a time to the simmering water.  Increase the heat under the pan to bring the water back up to a gently simmering boil if necessary.  
10. Cook the bagels for 2 minutes, flip them over, and cook 1 minute more.  Using a skimmer or strainer, remove the bagels from the water and place them back on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining bagels.
11. Bake the bagels for 20-25 minutes, or until they're as deep brown as you like, turning them over about 15 minutes into the baking time (this will help them remain tall and round).  I usually don't flip them because I have seeds on them.
12. Remove the bagels from the oven and cool completely on a rack.
13. Variations: To make sesame seed or any other seeded bagel, brush each bagel just before baking with a glaze made of 1 egg white beaten until frothy with 1 tablespoon of water.  Glaze each bagel and sprinkle heavily with seeds.
14. *recipe from King Arthur Flour 
15. I was craving an everything bagel and this recipe did not disappoint. I feel that it was the best bagel I ever had!  Not sure if it was because I made it or because it really was!  lol  It tasted like a true water bagel in texture and taste.  My love of baking bread of all kinds continue to expand. When I think about it, I've been making homemade bread for over 40 years! 
    
    
    "Happiness is the smell of freshly baked bread!"
16. Carol