Place water in a bowl and stir in 1 TBSP of malt syrup or honey
Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it rest for approxiamtely 10 minutes until it starts to look foamy.
Stir in the flour until it forms a stiff, shaggy dough. let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes to allow the flour and water to come together. This will help reduce more flour adding when kneading.
Add the salt and knead the dough for 10-15 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. This can be done in a mixer with a dough hook or on the counter tht is lightly floured.
Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and form into a ball. Using a benchtop scale works well to make 8 equal size balls. Weigh the entire ball and then divde by 8. Typical dough balls will be between 105 and 115 grams for 8 bagels.
Starting with the first ball formed, push your thumb through the middle to form a circel. stretch the hole wider to form the bagel.
Repeat for the remaining bagels.
Place the shaped bagels on the cornmeal covered parchment lined baking sheets and cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.
Place in the refridgerator overnight (12-16 hours).
Preheat oven to 450. While the oven is warming up, remove the bagels and let them warm back up.
Fill a pot with water and add 1 Tbsp. of malt syrup or honey. Bring to a boil and add 1 Tbsp. of Baking Soda. It will foam up when added.
Place the bagels in the boiling water and allow to boil for 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side. The longer in the water, the chewier the bagels will be after baking.
Remove the bagels and let them dry off a bit on a cooling rack.
Place the bagels on a clean parchment-lined cookie sheet that has been sprayed wiht non-stick spray.
Brush with the egg wash and top with your favorite bagel toppings or leave plain.
Bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes until the bagels are golden brown on top.
Remove from oven and cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing.