Bagel anyone?
In a large bowl, whisk together:
1 c warm water (as hot as you can stand it and still keep your finger in it)
1 ½ t salt
2 T sugar
2 ¼ t yeast
Add 3 c flour, mixing well. Turn dough onto floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes, adding flour if you need to keep it from sticking. Don’t cheat on the kneading time – it needs to be very well kneaded. Put the dough back in the bowl and cover with a wet towel. Let rest 20 minutes in a warm place, like oven with light on. Pull the dough out and cut it into nine pieces. Shape each piece into a tight ball. I usually pinch the ends together repeatedly to form a tight ball with a “belly button”, but whatever works.
Gently poke a hole through each ball using a rounded handle on a piece of silverware. Twirl the dough around the handle gently until the gap stretches to be one inch wide. Dip the bagel in milk, then place the bagels on a greased cookie sheet. Leave plenty of space for them to rise. Let rise in a warm place 30 minutes.
Boiled first, then baked.
Fill a saucepan ¾ full of water and bring to a boil. Add 3 T sugar or 3 T molasses. Boil the bagels one at a time for 1 minute on either side. Pull out the bagels using a slotted spoon and place them on a cookie sheet or stoneware. Brush tops with beaten egg white. If you want to add toppings like sesame seeds or poppy seeds to the bagels, sprinkle them on now.
Bake in pre-heated oven at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until brown. Be sure to check the bottom of the bagels for doneness before pulling them out. You might need to flip the bagels for them to cook evenly.
I see bagels in your future
Optional: When adding flour you can also add cinnamon and raisins, garlic, minced onion, blueberries, or any other flavors.
