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1
In a small bowl, combine the honey, yeast, and 1 1/4 cup warm water. Stir to dissolve and let sit for 5 minutes or until the surface is covered with foam.
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2
In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of the flour and the salt. Stir to combine. Add the frothy yeast water and stir well until everything is evenly mixed. Continue adding flour a 1/2 cup at a time until it is too hard to stir by hand (this will probably bring you to a total of 3 cups).
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3
Turn the dough out on to a well-floured surface. Continue adding flour a little bit at a time until you have reached a total of 3 1/2 - 4 cups, depending on the humidity. Stop adding flour when it becomes fairly stiff but still pliable enough to knead. Knead for 8 minutes.
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4
After kneading, flatted the dough slightly. Add the cinnamon and raisins to the center. Fold the dough over and knead a few more times until the raisins are distributed through the dough and the cinnamon has given the dough a swirly appearance.
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5
Form the dough into a ball, cover loosely, and let it rise until double (about 45 minutes). Punch the dough down, form it into a log, and cut it into 10 pieces. Form each piece into a ball by pulling the dough back and under itself. Pinch it in the center to make a hole and carefully stretch the hole until it is a couple of inches across (make this hole about 3x larger than you think it should be - the bagels will puff!). Place the formed bagels on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and cornmeal or cooking spray. Let rise until doubled (about 45 minutes).
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6
Preheat your broiler near the end of the rise time. Put a large of water on to boil. Place the tray of bagels under the broiler for 1 minute. Pull the bagels out, carefully turn them over, and place them back in to broil on the second side. You don't want to brown the bagels, just make them slightly dull on the surface.
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7
Turn the oven to 375u00b0F Drop the bagels into the boiling water a few at a time. Boil the bagels for one minute, flip them over, and boil for another minute on the opposite side. Remove from the water and allow to drain on a wire cooling rack for about 5 minutes.
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8
If you want to add toppings, do it now - brush the surface with a lightly beaten egg and then add topping.
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9
Place bagels on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes until the surface is golden brown.
