This dough is very stiff, so a stand mixer works best for mixing and kneading. I use my Bosch but a kitchen aid fitted with the dough paddle would work too.  Also I almost always double this recipe. Works great!

1. Add sourdough starter (discard), warm water, flour, sugar, instant yeast (if using) and salt to the bowl of your stand mixer and bring together to form a shaggy dough.  Don’t be alarmed, it will be thick! I use a Bosch and let it mix for about 30 seconds.
2. Allow  the dough to rest for 15 minutes.
3. Knead the dough for around 5-10 minutes depending on the strength of your stand mixer. The dough should be smooth and supple.  It is thick stiff dough so it won’t be super elastic, but it should look smooth and not sticky when done kneading.  I knead for about 5 minutes with my Bosch mixer.
4. Once the dough is sufficiently kneaded, you will need to allow it to rise or ferment.  You want the dough to double in size and be puffy and soft. For me this is about an hour to an hour and half when I have included yeast in the recipe.
5. Once the dough has risen, it is time to shape it into bagels.  I always use my digital kitchen scale to get the size right but of course you can just eyeball it too! We prefer larger bagels but I have directions for smaller ones too!
   For small bagels: Divide the dough into 12 pieces each weighing about 80 grams each.
   For larger bagels: Divide the dough into 8 pieces each weighing about 110 grams each.  
6. Shape each piece into a ball and then go back to the first ball made and poke a hole in the center.  Gently stretch the hole out and then place each bagel on a cookie sheet lined with a silicone liner (so they don’t stick) to rise.
7. Cover the formed bagels with a dish cloth or cookie sheet cover (linked above in the post). Let the bagels rise until soft and puffy.  For me this is about an hour to an hour and half when I have included yeast.
8. Before the bagels are done rising, bring a pot of water boil with about 8 1/2 cups of water and 3 Tablespoons of honey stirred in.
9. Preheat oven to 390
10. When the water is boiling, carefully place 3-4 bagels into the boiling water at a time.  You want to boil them for around 30 seconds each side.   If you prefer really chewy bagels you can let them boil for up to 2 minutes.
11. Carefully remove bagels from the boiling water onto the prepared cookie sheet (lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat) If you want to add toppings like sesame seeds, cinnamon sugar or grated asiago or parmesan cheese add them now.  You can also leave them plain.  
12. Bake the bagels in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.  Remove from oven when they are golden brown.
13. Allow to cool and enjoy!!