Measure warm water into a glass measuring cup or bowl. Stir in yeast and brown sugar, allow to stand for 10 minutes – it should get very bubbly.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and salt. Pour in yeast mixture, stir well to combine.

Dump dough out onto a floured surface, knead until soft and elastic, 5-10 minutes. (Alternatively, use a stand mixer with a dough hook for about 7 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic.)

Once dough is fully kneaded, place in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise for one hour, or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, before forming the bagels.

We usually divide the mixture into 8 equally sized balls, but you can make them larger by dividing into 6 equal sized pieces, or smaller by doing 10.

There are two main ways of forming bagels – with roll each lump of dough into a thick “snake” and secure the ends together, or roll each lump into a smooth ball before poking a finger though. Once you have a hole made, stretch the ring of dough out a bit to enlarge the hole. Personally, I prefer the latter.

Once you have all of your bagels formed, set them on a baking sheet to rise for another 10 minutes.

As the bagels rise, measure the baking soda into a large pot, fill halfway with water. Bring it JUST to a boil, then turn heat down a little. You want the water to simmer rather than boil.

2 or 3 at a time, drop your bagels into the simmering water, allow to cook for 1 minute, then flip each and allow to cook for another minute.

Drain bagels well, place on a lined baking sheet.

Whisk egg together with 1 tablespoon of water, brush over the tops and sides of each bagel. (You can skip this step for an egg-free pretzel bagel!)

Sprinkle each bagel with coarse salt, if desired.

Bake for about 37-40 minutes (for 6), 35 Minutes (for 8). or 32 minutes (if you're making 10-12), until golden brown.