Montreal-Style Bagels

For the dough

• Without stirring, add the honey and yeast to a measuring cup containing 1/2 cup of the warm water, then let the mixture sit for five minutes. Once time’s up, give it a stir to ensure that everything has dissolved.
• In a large bowl, mix together the flour and salt with a spoon. Make a well in the center with your spoon or your fingers, and pour in the honey-yeast-water mixture. Add another 1/3 cup of warm water into the well, then mix the flour-salt mixture with the contents of the well to incorporate. Slowly add in the remaining 1/2 cup water, as needed. You don’t want to overdo it, but you do want the dough to feel little sticky to the touch.
• Pour the dough out of the bowl onto a well-floured countertop. Begin kneading, working in both the flour on the countertop and as much additional flour as needed, continue kneading for about 20-25 minutes until you’ve got a firm, smooth, elastic dough.
• Use your hands or a cloth to grease the interior of a large, clean bowl with the olive oil. Add the dough to the bowl, making sure to get oil on all sides of the mound before covering it with a damp dish towel or cloth. Place the bowl of dough in a warm area of the house where the dough can rise.
• When the dough has doubled in size, punch down the dough and let it rest for another 10 minutes. During the resting time, begin to prepare the poaching water by bringing about two quarts of water to a boil in a large pot along with the honey, baking soda, and salt. You can also prep and set aside your baking sheet at this time; simply grease it lightly with olive oil.
• Without flouring your surface, divide it into 8 equal pieces, then shape each piece into a smooth round. You can do this by first carefully stretching and tucking, stretching and tucking the outer edges under and beneath the little mound to create a smooth circle shape, then placing the ball on the counter, smoother side up, and cupping your palms around it and using them to move it very gently in a circular motion to continue shaping it. Dip your pointer finger in flour, then press down into the center of each dough ball to form the hollow middle of your bagel. Slowly make a widening circular motion to stretch each ring until it’s about 1 1/2″ in diameter. *These holes will shrink a little bit by the expanding dough, so they need to be somewhat generously sized.
• Place each formed bagel onto the baking sheet and cover with a damp cloth or kitchen towel to rest for another 10 minutes.
• Preheat your oven to 425ºF. Reduce the heat on the now-boiling poaching water to a simmer. Using a slotted spoon, place each bagel carefully into the water, one by one. Depending on the size of your pot, you may be able to boil up to 3 at a time without the risk of misshaping them. They expand during the boiling process and can squish each other if they get too close.
• Boil on each side for 90 seconds. As you take each bagel out of the water and place it back onto the baking sheet, sprinkle immediately with your desired toppings while it’s still wet and steamy—the water will help the toppings stick.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes then carefully release and lift the beautifully browned bagels from the pan and let them cool slightly before digging in.