Montreal-Style Bagels

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Gather the ingredients.

2. Step 2

   Dissolve yeast in water in a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.

3. Step 3

   Whisk in egg and egg yolk.

4. Step 4

   Stir in 1/2 cup of honey, along with oil and salt.

5. Step 5

   Stir in 1 cup of flour at a time until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. If using a stand mixer, use a dough hook to knead. If working by hand, turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface to knead, adding more flour, if necessary, to keep dough from sticking too much. However you knead it, dough should become firmly elastic. When a thick piece is pinched, it should have a texture quite similar to your earlobe.

6. Step 6

   Cover and let sit until doubled in size, about an hour. (Note: You can chill dough overnight at this point.)

7. Step 7

   Preheat an oven to 475 F. Set one of the oven racks on the bottom rung and move any other cooking racks out of the way. If you have a pizza stone or baking stone, put it on the bottom rack.

8. Step 8

   Fill a large pot with about 12 cups of water. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of honey to the pot and bring to a boil.

9. Step 9

   While everything heats up, punch down dough, turn onto a lightly floured work surface, and divide into 18 pieces. Let sit for about 15 minutes.

10. Step 10

    Roll out each piece to 8 to 10 inches long.

11. Step 11

    Bring the two ends of a piece together and pinch and twist them, rolling that section of the circle between your hands to be sure it is fully sealed.

12. Step 12

    Set aside on a clean kitchen towel while making remaining pieces into circles.

13. Step 13

    Set up two lightly oiled baking sheets or , if you're using a pizza stone, two baking sheet-sized pieces of parchment paper that will fit on a pizza peel or on top of upside-down baking sheets (to ease paper directly onto pizza stone).

14. Step 14

    Put poppy seeds and/or sesame seeds in a wide bowl or rimmed plate.

15. Step 15

    When water is boiling, drop 3 bagels in. After about 10 seconds, use a slotted spoon to gently nudge them and make sure they aren't sticking to the bottom of the pot. Cook until they float to the surface.

16. Step 16

    Let them cook about 1 more minute before using a slotted spoon to transfer back to the clean towel.

17. Step 17

    Dip both sides of each in the seeds and set on the baking sheet or parchment paper.

18. Step 18

    Repeat with remaining bagels.

19. Step 19

    When one baking sheet or parchment paper is full, transfer it to the oven and bake until bagels are well browned about 15 minutes.

20. Step 20

    Transfer to a cooling rack and repeat with remaining bagels.