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1
Place 1 1/2 cups of the tepid water in a bowl and dissolve the yeast completely; set aside.
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2
Combine flour, malt syrup, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment.
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3
Add yeast mixture, scraping any undissolved yeast out of the bowl with a spatula.
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4
Mix on low until most of the loose flour has been worked into the dough and the dough looks shredded, about 2 minutes.
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5
Increase the speed to medium low and continue mixing until the dough is stiff, smooth, and elastic, about 8 to 9 minutes more.
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6
(If the dough gets stuck on the hook or splits into 2 pieces, stop the machine, scrape off the hook, and mash the dough back into the bottom of the bowl.)
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7
The dough should be dry, not tacky or sticky, and somewhat stiff.
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8
Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a large oiled bowl, and turn it to coat in oil.
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9
Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm place, until it is noticeably puffy and springs back when you poke it, about 20 minutes.
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10
(The dough will not double in size.)
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11
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 425 degrees F and arrange the rack in the middle.
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12
Fill a large, wide, shallow pan (about 3 to 6 quarts) with water, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium low and let simmer.
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13
Cover until youre ready to boil the bagels.
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14
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper greased with oil or cooking spray.
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15
Place a metal rack inside of a second baking sheet and set aside.
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16
Turn the risen dough out onto a dry surface.
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17
Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, about 3 ounces each.
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18
(While you work, keep the dough youre not handling covered with a damp towel to prevent drying.)
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19
Roll each piece into a 9-inch-long rope, lightly moisten the ends with water, overlap the ends by about 1 inch, and press to join so youve created a bagel.
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20
As necessary, widen the hole in the middle so it is approximately the size of a quarter.
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21
Cover the shaped bagels with a damp towel and let rest 10 minutes.
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22
After resting, stretch the dough to retain the quarter-size hole (the dough will have risen a bit) and boil the bagels 3 or 4 at a time, making sure they have room to bob around.
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23
Cook for about 30 seconds on each side until the bagels have a shriveled look, then remove to the baking sheet with the rack in it.
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24
Adjust heat as necessary so the water stays at a simmer.
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25
Whisk together the remaining 1 tablespoon water and the egg white until evenly combined.
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26
Brush the egg wash all over the bagels, then sprinkle as desired with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, or coarse salt.
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27
Arrange the bagels on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 1 inch apart and bake.
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28
Rotate the pan after 15 minutes and bake until the bagels are a deep caramel color and have formed a crust on the bottom and top, about 10 minutes more.
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29
Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes so the interiors finish cooking and the crusts form a chewy exterior.
