05Cover the bagels with plastic wrap and let rest for about 15 minutes (30-40 min during winter time).
06In the meantime, fill a large pot with water and a teaspoon of sugar or honey and bring to a simmer. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
07When the dough is ready, carefully drop them into the water and let them simmer for about 15 seconds on each side, flipping them only once. The bagels should float. Keeping the water boiling too hard or flipping too much will cause the surface of the bagels to crinkle later. I usually boil two at a time.
08Take the bagels out with a slotted spoon and blot excess water. If you would like to add toppings, do so now. For small or crumbly toppings such as sesame and poppyseed, dump out the toppings on a small plate and gently press the top of the bagel into the topping.
09Put the bagels onto a baking sheet and let bake until brown, approximately 15 minute.
10Note: You can use whole wheat flour and even ingredients such as cocoa, pureed spinach, pureed pumpkin/cinnamon/nutmeg to make different kinds (and different colors!) of bagel dough. Be sure to decrease the amount of added water accordingly -- I would try making the plain first to get an idea of what the dough should feel like.