To bloom the yeast

Cup of Yum
1. Pour the warm water into the bowl of your stand mixer, add the yeast and sugar. Do NOT stir it, just leave it for 10 minutes.½ cup / 125 ml warm water 2 tsp instant yeast4 tsp sugar

To make the dough

1. Add the flour into the bowl on top of the yeast mixture and then sprinkle over the salt.3 ¾ cups / 500 g bread flour1 ½ tsp salt
2. Pour in the warm water, and mix with your dough hook on speed 1. (see note 3)¾ cup / 175 ml warm water
3. Once a rough dough has formed add the remaining water and let the dough form a sticky wet mass.1 ½ tbsp warm water
4. Once this has happened, add the additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.4 tbsp flour
5. The mixture will look very dry. Don't panic!
6. Leave the stand mixer kneading for 15 minutes, by which time you will have stiff but elastic dough.
7. I find that I need to stop the mixer periodically to push the dough back down to the bottom of the machine.
8. Lightly coat a large mixing bowl with the oil.1 tsp oil
9. Empty your dough into the oiled bowl and turn gently to coat it in the oil.
10. Cover the bowl with cling film and set aside somewhere warm to rise.
11. Leave the dough to rise for an hour and a half. It should swell to about twice it's size.

To cook the bagels

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC/390ºF (220ºC/430ºF for non-fan forced ovens)
2. Place the dough on a chopping board and work it into a rough ball.
3. Cut the dough in half, cut each half in half and then cut each piece in half again so you have 8 roughly equal sized pieces of pieces.
4. Roll each piece of dough about so you have 8 ball shapes.
5. Carefully push your finger through the middle of a ball and stretch the hole until it is 2 inch wide.
6. Place the bagel onto a piece of cooking paper and continue with all the balls.
7. Leave the bagels to rest for 10 minutes whilst you bring a large pan of water to a boil. Add sugar and baking soda to the water.1 tbsp sugar½ tsp baking soda
8. Place 2 bagels into the boiling water and set your timer for 3 minutes. After the 3 minutes flip them over and boil on the other side for 3 minutes.
9. If you want to add a topping now is the time. Spread a thin layer of your chosen topping over a small plate. As you remove the bagel from the water, dip it into the topping and then place on a baking sheet (or two) lined with parchment paper.
10. Place the bagels into the middle of the oven and bake for 20 minutes until they are golden brown.
11. If your using two trays switch them over half way through cooking.
12. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack.
13. These are best eaten the day they are made, but will keep in an airtight containing for 24 hours.