Bagels

First, combine the starter ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Cover, and let rest at room temperature overnight.

The next day, combine the puffy starter with all of the dough ingredients (except the brown sugar) and knead, either by hand, electric mixer, or bread machine, to form a stiff but not dry dough. (I used the dough hook on my KitchenAid Mixer, and let it work for about 10 minutes till the bread was smooth.)

Since we’re using a high-protein bread flour here, you might notice it takes a bit more effort and time to develop the gluten.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and set it aside to rise for 1 hour.

Gently deflate the dough, and let it rise for another 30 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a work surface, and divide it into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth, round ball. Cover the balls with plastic wrap, and let them rest for 30 minutes. They’ll puff up very slightly.

While the dough is resting, prepare the water bath by heating the water and malt (or sugar) to a very gentle boil in a wide-diameter (about 10″) pan. Make sure you have enough water to fill the pan to about 1″ deep.

Preheat your oven to 425°F.

Use your index finger to poke a hole through the center of each ball, then twirl the dough on your finger to stretch the hole until it’s about 2 inches in diameter (the entire bagel will be about 3 ½” across).

Place each bagel on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet (I used a Silpat) and repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.

Transfer the bagels, four at a time if possible, to the simmering water. Increase the heat under the pan to bring the water back up to a gently simmering boil, if necessary. Cook the bagels for 2 minutes, flip them over, and cook for 1 minute more. Using a skimmer or strainer, or the end of a wooden spoon, remove the bagels from the water and place them back on the baking sheet.

Repeat with the remaining bagels.

Bake the bagels for about 25 minutes, or until they’re as deep brown as you like. To top with seeds, remove them from the oven after about 15 minutes, spray with water or Quick Shine, and sprinkle with seeds. Return to the oven to finish baking. Remove the bagels from the oven, and cool completely on a rack.