The Best New York-Style Bagels

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 450 F.
2. Stir yeast into warm water with 2 tbsp of the sugar. Stir with a fork or whisk until the yeast is dissolved, then set aside for a few minutes until yeast starts to get bubbly.
3. Use a large spoon to stir in 2 cups of the flour.

4. Add the salt, then a third cup of the flour. Stir, adding flour a bit at a time, until the dough becomes rough and too stiff to stir with the spoon.

   Turn the dough out onto a floured cutting board or countertop.

5. Knead the dough for 5 or 6 minutes until the dough has become smooth and satiny.

6. Cover the dough and set aside to rise until puffy, up to an hour.
7. Set up a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal (or flour) as a landing pad for your poached bagels and set aside.
8. Set up your water bath. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover until you are ready to poach.
9. Divide the dough into 8 even pieces and shape into bagels, either using the Wild West Gunshot method or the professional bagel maker method. Set aside.
10. After about 10-15 minutes, bagels will be slightly risen.
11. Bring the water back to a rolling boil and add the brown sugar and baking soda.
12. Place the bagels in the boiling water, leaving enough room so that bagels aren’t crowded. Poach for about 45 seconds then gently turn them over and cook for another 45 seconds. More time in the water bath makes for a thicker, chewier crust.
13. Remove from water bath, let drain a few seconds, then place on baking tray. Once all bagels are removed from water bath, sprinkle or dip bagels in toppings.
14. Bake in hot oven 14-17 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through baking.
15. Cool 15 minutes and enjoy!