New york style bagels

1. USING A FOOD PROCESSOR: In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, 2 teaspoons salt, the yeast, honey and the water. Process for 1 minute until the ingredients form a stiff, coarse ball of dough... you may add a tiny bit of water, if needed. Let the dough rest 5 minutes. Process dough for an additional 50 seconds- 1 minute.

2. USING A MIXER: In a mixer bowl, add the flour, 2 teaspoons salt, the yeast, honey and the water. Knead on medium speed until the ingredients form a stiff, coarse ball of dough, about 3 minutes....you may add a tiny bit of water, if needed. Let the dough rest 5 minutes. Knead on medium speed for an additional 3 minutes...

3. Note: If the dough seems too soft or too tacky, sprinkle over just a bit of flour as needed. I didn't need to add any additional flour.

4. 2. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place bowl in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to several hours. I left mine for 2 hours in the fridge.

5. Note: The bagels must be shaped before proofing overnight.

6. 3. Line a baking sheet with lightly greased parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

7. 4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Divide it into 6 equal pieces.

8. 5. Form each piece into a loose, round ball, make a hole in the middle and shape your bagel.

9. 7. Remove the dough from your hand and squeeze as necessary to even out the thickness of the dough. You should have a 2 inch hole in the center.

10. 8. Place the bagel on parchment paper lined pan. Repeat process until all bagels are done. Placed oiled plastic wrap over bagels and place in the refrigerator overnight.

11. Remove the bagels from the refrigerator 1 1/2 hours before you plan to bake them.

12. Pre-heat oven to 260C for 30 minutes

13. 1. Ten or 15 minutes before baking(oven has pre-heated for at least 15 minutes), fill a large stockpot with 12 cups (cca 3 litres) of water, making sure the water is at least 4 inches deep. Cover pot with a lid, and slowly bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Simmer with the lid on.

14. Note: Test the bagels to see if they are ready for boiling by placing one in a bowl of cold water. If it sinks and doesn't float to the surface, then return it to the sheet and wait about 15 minutes and then test it again. When one bagel passes the float test, they are ready for the pot. I didn't bother with this, since I bake bagels all the time, and knew my bagels were puffed enough to float... you can tell they are lighter in the hand. But if you are new to bagels, it's best to do the float test.

15. 2. Gently lift each bagel and place it in the simmering water. Add 2 more bagels, or as many as will comfortably fit in the pot, but don't overcrowd. I do 3 at a time.

16. 3. Poach bagel for 1 minute, then flip each bagel over and poach for an extra 30 seconds.

17. 4. Remove each bagel using the slotted spoon, and place it on the lined baking sheet. Brush bagel with egg wash and sprinkle any toppings of choice. Repeat until all the bagels have been poached, egg washed and topped.

18. 5. Reduce the heat to 210-230 C. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 8 minutes. Rotate sheet and bake for an additional 8 minutes or until golden brown.

19. Note: You may want to check the underside of the bagels half way through baking... if they are getting too dark, then place another sheet under the baking sheet and continue baking for the last 8 minutes. I didn't bother with this.

20. 6. Remove bagels from oven and transfer them to a rack. Cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.