Salted Rosemary Wheat Bagels

1. In the bowl of your stand mixer (or a large bowl) combine yeast, sugar, and warm water. Let it sit for 5 minutes to proof the yeast.

2. Add olive oil, kosher salt, flours (all-purpose and wheat), and rosemary into the bowl. I like to crush the dried rosemary a bit to let more of its flavor out and break down any large pieces.

3. Using the dough hook of your mixer (or your hands, if you’re going mixer-less) knead to incorporate flour until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Dough should be slightly sticky but not wet, and should hold together. If dough is too wet, add a bit more flour. Too dry? Add a tablespoon or so of water.

4. Transfer dough to an oiled bowl (you can totally use the same one you mixed it in if you want, just spray the bowl with cooking spray) and turn to coat the top of the dough with a light layer of oil to prevent sticking. Cover bowl with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

5. When dough has doubled in size, turn it out of the bowl onto a lightly floured cutting board and punch it down. Cut dough into eight (for large bagels) or ten (for smaller bagels) pieces.

6. Roll each piece of dough into a ball and place balls seam-side down on the floured cutting board. Let dough rest for 10-15 minutes.

7. To form bagels, poke a hole in the center of each dough ball with your finger and gently pull to stretch the dough into a bagel shape.

8. When all the bagels have been formed, cover with a towel and let them rise for an additional 30 minutes.

9. While bagels are rising, place a large pot of water on the stove to boil and preheat your oven to 425 F. This is also the perfect time to get a large baking sheet ready. I spray mine with a light layer of cooking spray and sprinkle a generous layer of kosher salt over the pan (we wouldn’t want to leave the bottoms of the bagels unsalted).

10. When water is boiling, gently place bagels one at a time into the boiling water with a slotted spoon. This can take a bit of practice, but it gets easier the more you do it! Leave bagels plenty of room to float around—don’t crowd the pot. I can usually fit 2-3 bagels at a time in my large stock pot.

11. Boil bagels for about 1 minute on each side, using a slotted spoon to gently turn them over in the water once the first side has cooked.

12. When each side has finished boiling, use a slotted spoon to remove bagels to your baking sheet. Make sure to place them on the baking sheet seam-side down. (Depending on the size of your bagels, you may need to use two baking sheets).

13. As soon as bagels are placed on the baking sheet, sprinkle the top with a layer of kosher salt. I use about 1/8 teaspoon of salt per bagel. Continue boiling the rest of the bagels.

14. When all bagels are boiled and salted, bake them at 425 F for 13-15 minutes, until lightly browned. If your bagels are on the larger side, you may need to extend the cooking time.