Bake-at-Home Bagels

STORAGE: Store frozen. THAWING & PROOFING – Allow your frozen bagel to thaw overnight in the refrigerator for at least 6-7 hours. Remove from refrigerator, cover with Saran wrap, wax paper or a dish towel, and place on counter for 30-40 minutes. BOILING: • Make desired adjustments to the hole as well as the form and size of your bagels so they are uniform. • Preheat oven to 455°. • In a large pot, bring 4-5 cups of water to a boil (note: for a darker and sweeter crust, similar to Montreal Style, add ¼ cup of honey to water before boiling bagels). • Working in batches of 3, gently lower bagels into boiling water. Boil for 1-minute. • Flip bagels and continue boiling for an additional 1-minute. (IMPORTANT to boil on both sides!) • Gently remove bagels from boiling water with a mesh strainer or tongs and place on a lined or greased baking sheet. BAKING: • Bake at 455° until baked through and lightly browned (generally 14-16 minutes, but WATCH CLOSELY, as all ovens are different). Rotate baking sheet 180 degrees at 8 minutes. • Remove bagels and allow to cool to desired temperature for serving. ADDING A TOPPING? If you plan to make yours an Everything bagel using EVERYTHING Seasoning – or you have some other topping you want to add -- after removing the bagels from the boiling water, transfer the still wet bagels to a plate with your desired toppings, gently press down. Transfer to your lined baking sheet.