Mix your dough: In a large mixing bowl, dissolve active starter and barley malt syrup in water. Stir the bread flour and salt in the dissolved starter. This is quite a dry dough so you may have a difficult time incorporating all the flour. Use your hand to knead the mixture together until all of the flour is hydrated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 1 hour (skip rest if using a machine to mix). 

Strengthen the dough: Turn the dough out on a clean work surface. Knead the dough for 10 to 15 minutes or until the dough is completely smooth and no longer tears easily. Round into a tight bowl and place in a lightly-oiled bowl. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and set it in a warm place. 

Bulk ferment: Let the dough rise until bubbly, airy and doubled in volume, about 4 to 6 hours. 

Cold proof: Deflate the dough, gather the dough into a tight ball and cover with plastic wrap. Place the dough in the refrigerator and let the dough proof overnight.  

Shaping method 2: Flatten each ball of dough into an oval. Roll the dough into a log, let the dough rest for 15 minutes. Use your palms to roll the dough into a long rope, about 8 inches long. Wrap the rope around your hand, pinch the ends together and roll the dough until the ends adhere to each other. Placethe shaped dough on the prepared baking sheet. 

Final proof: Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for 45 minutes to an hour or until noticeably puffy, but not doubled. 

Prep: When your bagels are close to being ready, preheat the oven to 475 F.

Float test: Fill a large bowl with lukewarm water. Place a shaped bagel in th bowl of water, if it floats then you’re ready to proceed. 

Poach the bagels: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the baking soda, barley malt syrup and salt to the water. Turn the heat down to a simmer and drop 2 to 3 bagels into the water, do not overcrowd the pot. Cook the dough for 1 minute, flipping halfway through. Return the poached bagels to the baking sheet spaced about 2 inches apart. Finish with your toppings of choice. 

Bake: Bake the dough for 15 minutes or until golden brown and measures 200 F when probed with an instant read thermometer. 

Serve: Transfer bagels to a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes before slicing. Freshly baked bagels are delicious even without toasting!

Store: Store cooled bagels in a ziplock bag at room temperature for up to 5 days. For best results, toast leftover bagels before enjoying.