Cross-Border Bagels

In a large bowl, combine warm water (about 110°F), yeast (1/2 oz), sugar (3 Tbsp). Stir and let stand until yeast is activated, it'll start to get foamy, about 5 minutes.

Gradually add 4 cups of flour, salt (2 tsp), honey (1 Tbsp) and mix until a sticky dough forms.

Add flour gradually, 1/2 to 1 cup, to stiffen dough. Use a wooden spoon or your hands to work the dough into a ball.

On a flat surface spread 1/2 cup flour and transfer dough onto surface, knead the dough for 10-12 minutes, adding more flour as needed. The dough should not stick to the surface or your hands.

Grease large bowl with oil (2 tsp) and place dough ball in, cover, and let rise in a warm environment until it's about doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Pre-heat oven to 500°F and boil a large pot of water. Add 1 tsp of honey to the pot of water.

Once dough is sufficiently risen, remove dough from bowl and cut into 12 equal sized pieces.

Roll each piece of dough into a uniform ball, then roll into a 'rope' about 10-12 inches long. Wrap the dough around your fingers, overlapping the ends. Lightly press the ends together and roll through your fingers until sealed. Cover the bagels and let sit for another 20-30 minutes.

Once the pot of water is at a boil, place unbaked bagels (2-4 at a time) into pot for about 1 minute, flipping them halfway through. Dust the boiled bagels with cornmeal (or other toppings, such as coarse grained salt or sesame seeds) and place on a baking sheet. Leave about 2 inches of space between bagels, as they will expand in the oven. Depending on the size of your oven/baking sheet, you may need to do bake them in two batches.

Bake at 500°F for 5 minutes. Turn oven down to 400°F, remove tray from oven, flip bagels, and place back in oven for another 20 minutes, or until they are golden brown.

People are touchy about their bagels. First, the bagel itself: do you go for the gigantic, fluffy new York Bagel, or the sweet density of a Montreal Bagel? Next the flavour where there are choices abound. Then the toppings; just shmear or the works? (Chuck's favourite is a sesame Fairmount bagel straight from the oven, eaten while still hot. Erin's favourite is the Super Purist double cheese melt from Benny's Bagels - RIP Benny's Kitsilano).

The upshot of all this is that the possibilities with bagels are endless. This recipe will get you somewhere closer to a New York bagel in size and texture, but boiling the bagels in honey ahead of time gives a taste reminiscent of Montreal style bagels.

If you like bagels, we encourage you to try out this recipe, especially if you've never tried before. Unleash your inner bagel baker!