How to Make Homemade Bagels

Whisk 360 g of warm water (85-90F) with 3 g of instant yeast until the yeast dissolves completely. Add 2.5 tsp of barley malt syrup and whisk again. The malt is what gives a real bagel its toasty, almost burnt-sugar bottom note - if you can't find it, swap in honey for now and order malt syrup before the next batch.

In a big bowl, whisk 600 g of bread flour with 16 g of kosher salt. Pour the liquid in all at once. The malt loves to lag behind in the bottom of the cup - scrape every bit of it into the bowl. Mix by hand, knuckles down, until it pulls together into a stiff cohesive ball with no dry flour pockets. A stand mixer is easier but absolutely not required.

Turn the dough onto a clean work surface and knead for 3 to 5 minutes. This is a stiff dough - it fights back a little. Use the heel of your hand, lean into it, fold and turn.

You're looking for a smooth, tensile, slightly tacky ball that holds its shape. Test it with the window pane: pinch off a small piece and stretch it between your fingers. If it goes thin enough to see light through without tearing, the gluten is developed and you're done. If it tears, knead another minute and try again.

Form the kneaded dough into a light, tight ball. Drop it into a lightly oiled bowl and flatten the top slightly with your palm. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap.

Rest the dough at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes. You are not trying to double its size - that's a bread proof, not a bagel proof. You just want a little fermentation to wake the dough up so it shapes cleanly and develops flavor overnight in the fridge.

While the dough rests, build the topping. Combine 3 tbsp sesame seeds, 2 tbsp poppy seeds, 1 tbsp dried onion flakes, 0.5 tbsp dried garlic flakes, and 1 tbsp flaky sea salt in a small bowl.

Stir with a fork or use your hands to toss the seeds together. That's it - that's the entire formula. Store any leftovers in a small jar for avocado toast, roasted vegetables, or scrambled eggs. If everything isn't your thing, sub in plain sesame, poppy, or skip toppings entirely.

Turn the rested dough out and shape it into a rough rectangle. Cut into eight even pieces, each weighing about 128 g. A kitchen scale earns its counter space here - bagels that bake evenly start with pieces that match.

Roll each piece into a tight ball, line them up on the work surface, cover with a damp towel, and rest 10 minutes. Now the Josh method: cup a ball in one hand, plant your thumb and index finger in the center, and push all the way through to make a hole. Work your fingers around to widen the ring and even out the thickness. Park each finished bagel on a cornmeal-dusted sheet pan.

Wrap the tray tightly so the bagels don't dry out. Let them sit at room temp 5 to 10 minutes for one more burst of fermentation, then move them to the fridge for an overnight cold proof. This slow night in the cold is where the chew and the flavor really come from.

The next morning, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a wide pot. Whisk in a pinch of kosher salt, 1.5 tbsp barley malt syrup, and (if you have it) 0.5 tsp food-grade lye. The malt builds flavor and color, the lye builds a glassy crackle on the outside. Lye is safe once the bagels are baked but is caustic in the pot - wear nitrile gloves and never let bare skin touch the water.

Drop bagels into the boiling water top-side down, two or three at a time depending on pot size. Boil for 30 seconds, flip with a spider, and boil 30 more seconds on the other side. Lift each one out, drain well over the pot, and set on a parchment-lined sheet pan, four to a sheet.

The window for topping is right now while they're still wet. Dip the boiled top straight into your everything seasoning bowl and press lightly so the seeds stick. Leave the rest plain if you want the simple ones. Once they dry, nothing will hold the topping on.

Bake at 450F for 15 to 18 minutes. The tops go from pale tan to deep amber and the everything seeds toast and smell incredible around the 12-minute mark. Pull them when the bottoms are firm and the tops have that classic crackly sheen.

Cool on the pan a few minutes, then move to a wire rack so the bottoms don't go soft. Slice once they're cool enough to handle - hot bagels gum up under the knife. Eat plain, with butter, or build the full board: cream cheese, thinly sliced tomato with flaky salt, cured salmon, paper-thin red onion, capers, and a few sprigs of dill.