Instructions: Heres the promised bagel recipe! It originally came from Molly ONeills

"New York Cookbook", but Ive changed it a bit. If you can get NY water, use it...it DOES make a difference, especially when used for boiling. I bring home water from my brothers on LI whenever I visit, just so I can make these bagels taste "real"

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Proof the yeast with half the brown sugar and all the water. Set aside until foam forms. Add remaining sugar and salt, stir well. Gradually add the flour. Knead for about 7 minutes, until smooth and retains a sheen (you may have to add a touch more water). Cover and allow to rest in a warm place for 40 minutes.

Dust large cutting board half with flour and half with cornmeal. Turn out dough onto floured side. Halve dough and then quarter it. Slice each quarter into 3 pieces. Roll each piece on the cornmeal dusted side, making a "snake" that is a little thinner than a broom handle. Form bagel and pinch one end around the other. Making them "look" like bagels takes some practice. Place each bagel on a lightly cornmeal-dusted baking sheet. Put them back in your warm place and let them rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heavily dust 2 baking sheets with cornmeal.

Fill a large, wide pot almost full of water (leave about 1 - 1 1/2 inches at top), and bring to a boil. Use a wide flat spatula (or one of those flat slotted round things whose name is escaping me at the moment) to drop the bagels, top down, into the water. Dont let them touch. Boil on one side for 1 1/2 minutes, then turn and boil on other side for 30 seconds.

Carefully remove from water and drain bottom down on wire rack while next batch boils. Move each batch from rack to baking sheet before the next batch is ready to drain. Sprinkle with desired toppings (I like kosher salt best, but hey...Im a native) and place in oven for 17 minutes. Turn bagels and bake until brown all over, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on paper towels. Whipped cream cheese is a must

If you do make salt bagels, be prepared to eat them quickly. The salt pulls the moisture from the air, and youll end up with soggy bagels if you try to keep them around for long.

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