Bagels

Ingredients

Dough:

• 2 1/4 cups (18 ounces) water
• 1 Tbs salt
• 3 Tbs brown sugar
• 5 1/2 - 6 cups (28.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 Tbs instant yeast

Water bath:

• 2-3 quarts water
• 4 Tbs brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

OPTIONAL: 

• 1/2 cup dehydrated onion flakes, if you want to make onion
• 2-3 Tbs any seed of preference , such as poppy, sesame, etc. 
• vegetable milk (soy, almonds, coconut, etc.) so that the seeds adhere to the Bagel.

Preparation

1. Line two medium-sized baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Heat water on high until 110-130º F.
3. In a stand mixer, add water, salt, 3 Tbs brown sugar, about half the flour, and yeast on top . Turn on the mixer and add additional flour (in case of making onion Bagels add the dehydrated onion along with the flour). Add the flour as needed to form a firm but smooth dough. The dough should pull away from the sides and bottom of the bowl as you mix. It should be firmer than a muffin or bread dough, but not so floured that it becomes tough. Let the mixer knead the dough for 6 minutes to develop the gluten.
4. Divide the dough into 12 pieces (about 4 ounces each) and roll each into a ball. Cover the balls of dough and let rest for 5 minutes to relax the dough.
5. Once they have rested, one by one use your thumb to carefully poke a hole in the center and carefully stretch the hole with your fingers until it is about 1 inch wide. For the best Bagels, work quickly and smoothly without worrying about trying to shape a perfect Bagel. The less you handle at this stage, the better your Bagels will look. Arrange shaped Bagels on prepared baking sheets (6 per pan). Cover them and let them rest for 20-30 minutes.
6. While Bagels rise, preheat the oven to 390º F. Heat 3/4 quart water in a casserole pot with 4 Tbs brown sugar to boiling, stirring to dissolve brown sugar. You can use a large pot or a straight edge pan. Then adjust the heat until it simmers.
7. After the Bagels have risen, transfer them, three at a time, to the boiling water so that the bottom (or ugly side) is facing up. Increase the heat under the pot to bring the water back to a simmer, if necessary. 
8. Cook Bagels 30 seconds to 1 minute, flip with a wide slotted spatula, and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute longer. Using the same spatula, carefully remove the Bagels from the water and place them back on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining Bagels.
9. Top the Bagels with whatever toppings you like or keep them simple. For a dry topping, like sesame seeds or poppy seeds, spread each Bagel with a little non-dairy milk.
10. Bake one can of Bagels at a time for 20 to 25 minutes, or until as golden as desired. Remove Bagels from the oven and cool completely on a rack.