Homemade Bagels

I've always wanted to make homemade bagels.  I found this recipe at thehappyhousewife.com.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cup warm water
• 2 Tbs Honey
• 2 1/4 tsp salt
• 5 cups flower (you can use all white, half white/half wheat, or all whole wheat)
• 1 Tbs gluten
• 2 tsp. instant yeast

 Combine water, honey, and salt. Add part of the flour, yeast and gluten, mix well. Continue to add flour until you have a slightly sticky dough, kneed for about 10 minutes.  After the dough has risen, divide into 11-13 balls. I can usually get 13 bagels out of this recipe, but today I only got 12. This is also the time to add any extras. After the first rise but before you divide your dough, you can mix in onions (for onion bagels), assorted seeds or nuts, cinnamon and sugar, it is up to you.

After you have divided your dough, take the balls and put your thumbs through the middle of the ball. You will make the bagel shape by doing this. You need to work the hole to a pretty large diameter (almost 2 inches) because the hole will shrink when they rise.

Allow the bagels to rest (covered) for 20 minutes. It is best if you watch the time on this. You won’t ruin your bagels if they rest for 25 or 30 minutes, but 20 minutes is ideal. While the bagels are resting, start boiling a pot of water on the stove. Add honey or sugar (about 1/3 cup) to the water.

After the bagels have rested and your water is boiling drop the bagels (one or two at a time depending on how big your pot is) into the boiling water. Boil for one minute. Let me repeat this, boil for one minute. Do not over boil. Your bagels will fall apart. You can under boil them, but do not over boil. After a minute remove from the water with a slotted spoon and place on greased cookie sheet.

After the bagels are boiled you can brush them with an egg wash ( one egg white and about 3 Tbs of water) but it isn’t required. The egg wash gives the bagels that shiny look.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 to 30 minutes. You can flip them if you think they are getting too brown on the bottom, but they won’t be as pretty.