Home Made Bagels

Ingredients

2 tsp dry yeast
1 1/2 TBSP sugar
1 1/4 cups warm water
3 1/2 cups flour, plus extra for kneading
1 1/2 tsp salt

1) Sprinkle the yeast and sugar into 1/2 c of the water in a small bowl. Leave for 5 minutes; stir to dissolve. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the dissolved yeast.

2)pour about half of the remaining water into the well. Mix in the flour. Stir in the reserved water, as needed, to form a firm, moist dough.

3) Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. As you knead the dough, gradually work in as much additional flour as you can comfortably knead - this dough should be very stiff and firm.

4) Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning the dough to coat, and cover with a dish towel. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch down, then let rest for 10 minutes.

*Hint* I put a bowl of water in the microwave for 3 minutes then take the water out and put the dough in the microwave and close the door to rise. It's nice and moist and warm.

5) cut the dough into eight equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. Form each ball into a ring by inserting a floured finger into the center of each one.

6) Work the finger in a circle to stretch and widen the hole. Then twirl the ring around your two index fingers until the hole is about 1/3 of the bagel's diameter.

7) Place the bagels on a lightly oiled baking sheet, then cover with a damp dish towel and let rest for 10 minutes.
8) Bring a large pan of water to a boil, then reduce the heat to allow the water to simmer. Use a perforated skimmer (I just used my spatula) to carefully lower the bagels into the water in batches of two to three at a time.

Boil each batch of 2-3 bagels, uncovered, until they rise to the surface, about 1 minute, turning them once. (Mine never sank) Remove the bagels from the water, using a perforated skimmer (or spatula!), and drain.

9) Transfer the drained bagels to a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven at 425 degrees for 20 minutes (I thought this was too long and should have checked them at 15 minutes), until golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Ta-Da! Yipee!

And they are absolutely delicious. And yummy.