Sweet Kitchen Cravings

0 Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, add the ingredients in this order: water, yeast, flour, brown sugar, then salt. Mix on low speed until combined then increase to medium speed and mix until dough is strong, smooth, and forms into a ball, about 10 minutes. The dough will be on the dry side.
1 Form the dough into a ball and place it in a large bowl greased with cooking spray or oil. Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to rise in a warm spot, or at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
2 Shaping: Once the dough is ready, remove it from the bowl and gently press out any air bubbles. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. You can eyeball this but I like to use a kitchen scale. Weigh the entire dough ball and divide that number 8 to get the weight that each portion needs to be.
3 Roll each piece of dough into a ball making a smooth top and any seam on the bottom. Then to form the bagel shape, simply stick your thumb right through the middle of the small dough ball. Form a bagel shape, while making the opening in the center about 1½ inches in diameter.
4 Place the shaped bagels on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment or silicone mats. Cover loosely with plastic wrap so they don’t dry out and allow the bagels to rest while preparing the water bath.
5 Preheat the oven to 425°F.
6 Water Bath: Bring the 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Stir in the honey. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
7 Gently add each bagel to the water bath in a single layer. Boil the bagels for one minute on each side. You may need to boil the bagels in a few rounds, to avoid crowding the pot. Move the bagels back to the baking sheet as you pull them out of the water bath.
8 Topping & Baking: Brush the egg wash on the top and sides of the bagels using a pastry brush. Immediately dip the top in your desired topping or leave plain. For the chonga bagel, dip it in everything seasoning, place back on the pan then generously sprinkle on the cheddar cheese.
9 Bake for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown, turning halfway through.
10 Allow the bagels to cool before slicing or enjoy them warm with butter or your favorite cream cheese!