How to make the levain.

• Mix the starter, flour, and water in the mixer bowl with a spatula. 

• Cover the mixer bowl with plastic wrap and place the levain on top of a bowl with hot water. This will act as a warmer for the levain to ferment. Leave the levain to ferment for 2-3 hours at room temperature with the hot water bowl underneath.

How to make the dough. 

• Add the remaining ingredients to the levain: flour, salt, honey, and starter. 

• Using a mixer, start mixing the dough at a low speed. Allow it to mix for 6-7 minutes. 

Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into 12 equal portions, forming dough balls from each piece. Place the dough balls on a clean and sprayed surface or pan and cover them with plastic wrap. Let them rest for 20 minutes. 

Prepare two half-size pans with parchment paper and lightly coat with cooking spray.

After the dough has rested, start shaping the bagels. In the middle of the dough ball, poke a hole with your thumb and stretch the dough equally around until you have ½-1 inch diameter.

Place dough on the sprayed pans and cover with plastic wrap.

Allow the dough to rise for 1 -2 hours at room temperature. 

• Check if the dough is ready to be retarded. Take one bagel and place it in a bowl of water. If the dough floats up, they are ready to go in the refrigerator overnight. If not, let it rise a little longer. Test every 15-20 minutes until your dough floats. 

Prepare to bake your bagels. The next day, remove them from the refrigerator 30 minutes before boiling and allow them to come to room temperature slightly. 

Turn on the oven to 500*F 

Boil bagel dough. In a wide-mouth pot, add baking soda and honey to 8 cups of water and let the mixture come to a boil. Place 2-4 bagels into the water at a time. Boil for 1 minute on each side. While the bagels are boiling, add cornmeal to the pan. Place the bagels back in the same pan with the cornmeal. 

• To add toppings, dip the boiled bagels into the desired topping before placing them on the pan. 

Bake your bagels in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until you reach the desired golden color. 

Cool the bagels for 10-15 minutes before slicing in half.