Bagels

This is a basic bagel recipe that's pretty darn good. I have made bagels with my bread recipe I'll let you decide which you like better.

Ingredients:

2 tsp. Active dry yeast

1 1/2 T. Sugar

1 1/4 C. Water

3 3/4 C Bread flour, plus more for kneading purposes

1 1/2 tsp. Salt

Directions:

*Sprinkle yeast and sugar into 1/2 cup of the water in a bowl. (water is to be 100 degrees) and let stand for 5 minutes. Mix flour and salt in your mixer. Turn it on and slowly add the yeast mixture. Pour in the rest of the warm water and mix until it forms a dough ball. You may need to add flour to get it from being sticky.

*Turn dough out onto a floured board and knead until smooth. (don't hate the kneading!)

When the dough is firm and stiff put in to an oiled bowl and let rise until double.

*Turn dough out onto board again and punch down, then let it rest 10 minutes. This rest will help it keep shape when forming so dont cheat.

*Cut your dough into equal pieced. If you have a scale I like to weigh out 2 1/2 oz. pieces.

Shape each piece in to a ball and then form the ring by taking your floured finger and stick into the middle of the dough. Work your finger in a circle to stretch the hole, remembering that the dough will rise and make that hole smaller so i get it a pretty good size at first.

*Place the bagels on a lightly oiled baking sheet, cover and let rest 10 minutes or so. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1 T sugar, then reduce to a simmer. Using a perforated spoon (large spoon with holes in it) carefully lower the bagels into the water. You can do two at a time if you be sure not to let them touch.

*Boil bagels about one minute on each side then remove and place on the baking sheet.

*Bake 20 min. at 425

*Makes about 8 bagels.