Cook the bagels for 2 minutes, flip them over, and cook 1 minute more. Increase the heat under the pan to bring the water back up to a gently simmering boil, if necessary. Transfer the bagels, four at a time if possible, to the simmering water. Place six bagels on each of the baking sheets. Use your index finger to poke a hole through the center of each ball, then twirl the dough on your finger to stretch the hole until it's about 1 1/2' to 2' in diameter. While the dough is resting, prepare the water bath by heating the water, non-diastatic malt powder (or brown sugar or barley malt syrup), and sugar to a very gentle boil in a large, wide-diameter pan. Cover the balls with plastic wrap, and let them rest for 30 minutes. Place the balls on one of the prepared baking sheets. Working with one piece at a time, roll it into a smooth, round ball. Transfer the dough to a work surface, and divide it into eight pieces (for large bagels), or 12 pieces (for standard-size bagels). Lightly grease two baking sheets, or line them with parchment and grease the parchment.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and set it aside to rise until it's noticeably puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

The dough will be quite stiff if you're using a mixer it will 'thwap' the sides of the bowl, and hold its shape (without spreading at all) when you stop the mixer. Since we're using a high-protein bread flour here, it takes a bit more effort and time to develop the gluten. Combine all of the dough ingredients and knead vigorously for 10 minutes (if you're using an electric mixer) or up to 15 minutes (if you're kneading by hand). Weigh your flour or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess.

Baron Byng to Bagels by Joe King