Bagels - Take 2!

The last time I made bagels, I came out with a cross between a pretzel & a bagel because I followed someone's suggestion online to add baking powder to the water bath to keep them fluffy instead of shrinking & shriveling. They tasted good & I ate them, don't get me wrong, but they were definitely not the traditional bagel I was after.

This time, I followed this recipe and used bread flour, which I am very hopeful will help keep them puffy. I added onion & garlic powder to the dough to give it flavor & topped them with an egg wash, toasted sesame seeds & salt. They turned out wonderfully & my husband said these are the best batch I've made! *Edited: I broke down and had one for my *very* late dinner...these turned out SO.SO.SO.SO.SO FABULOUS. I think the bread flour made all the difference in the fluffiness and the inner texture....

Here is the recipe I followed, courtesy of Baking Bites.

Onion & Garlic Bagels
Ingredients
1 tbsp active dry yeast
1 tbsp sugar
1 3/4 cups water, warm (100-110F)
4 cups bread flour (not all purpose)
1 tbsp salt
1 egg, for egg wash
I added: 1/2 tbs. Onion powder & 1/2 tbs. garlic powder to the dough while kneading
1 tbs. honey to the boiling water

Directions

In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) combine yeast, sugar & water. Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir in flour & salt. Mix dough thoroughly until it comes together in a large ball, pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Add an additional tablespoon of flour or water, if needed.
If kneading by hand, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface & knead until very smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. If using a stand mixer, knead dough with the dough hook until elastic, about 8 minutes on a low speed. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap & let rise for 1 hour.

Bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil & preheat the oven to 400F.

When dough has risen, turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface & divide into 12 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a tight ball. When all the balls are shaped, let the dough rest for 30 minutes covered with a clean dish towel.

Once dough balls have rested, the bagel shape can be formed. Using your fingers, poke a hole through the center of each dough ball. Stretch out the dough into a ring with your fingers & make the hole a little larger than you want the finished bagel to have, as it will shrink slightly while the bagel is expanding during the baking process. Let bagels rest for about 10 minutes.

Working four at a time, drop the bagels carefully into the boiling water. Boil for 1 minute on the first side, then flip & boil for an additional minute. Using a slotted spoon or strainer, transfer bagels to a clean towel to drain for a moment, then place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Brush boiled bagels with lightly beaten egg & bake for 20-24 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on a rack.