Homemade Bagels

I made these bagels this weekend and even though they were delicious, I needed to make a few adjustments. Now that I have, they are nice and crispy/crusty on the outside and chewy on the inside...YUM!! I used to make these for breakfast while I was running the B&B but it was so long ago, I felt like I was making them for the first time. So even if you are a first time baker this recipe is really not difficult, most of the time spent is waiting for the dough to rise. I always say nothing is better than your own homemade baked breads but of course you can get great bagels at certain deli's these days, I just think it's fun.

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups flour
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 pkg.)
1 cup milk
4 TBSP butter
2 TBSP sugar
1 egg, separated
1 1/2 tsp salt
(optional) poppy seeds, sesame seeds, coarse salt, dried onion

Directions
1. Bring the milk to a boil, remove the pan from the heat and add the butter and sugar until melted and dissolved.
2. Pour the milk mixture into a large bowl and cool until tepid
3. Add the yeast to the milk mixture and stir until dissolved, set aside for 10 minutes or until frothy
4.Beat the egg white and salt into the yeast mixture, then gradually add the flour.
5. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 15 minutes
6. Form the dough into a ball and place in an oiled bowl; cover with a damp cloth and set aside in a warm place for an hour or until doubled in size
7. Divide the dough into 24 pieces; make a ball and using your index and forefinger poke through the center to make the hole.
8. Leave the rings on a floured surface until they start to rise, about 10 minutes
9. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, place bagels a few at a time in the boiling water and cook for 20 seconds or until they puff up. (Do not overcook of they will fall apart) Remove using a slotted spoon to a greased baking sheet
10. Mix the egg yolk with 1 tsp water and brush over the bagels. If you like, you can now sprinkle with toppings mentioned above.
11. Bake in a preheated 400º oven for about 20 minutes or until brown and crisp.

24 Bagels