I made bagels once when I was younger without success. A couple of months ago I decided to give it another go. After a few attempts and a few round bread rolls with holes...I came up with a combination of a couple of recipies that makes a dense chewy bagel that I was looking for. The sponge creates a lot of the small bubbles so that the dough doesn't have to proof for very long, that was my first lesson and why I ended up with bread rolls! I hope you like them too!
For the sponge, stir together the water yeast and flour. Allow this to sit at room temperature covered with plastic wrap until doubled.
2
Mix oats, cinnamon, sugar, salt and craisins into the sponge.
3
Stir in the whole wheat flour and knead in as much of the white flour as you can. knead for 10 minutes.
4
Allow to rest for 15 minutes (or while you clean up :)).
5
Divide dough into 12 balls. Push your thumb through the center of each ball and twirl it around your fingers to make a 2 inch hole in the center of each bagel. Allow to stand for 5 minutes.
6
In a large pot, bring approx 3 inches of water to a boil with 1 tsp baking soda and 1 tablespoon of honey in the water. Boil bagels in a single layer for 45 secconds on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a kitchen towel.
7
Bake 2 inches apart on a greased baking sheet for 10 to 15 minutes at 375 degrees F or until they are golden brown.