New York Bagels

Ingredients:

• 2 quarts of water.
• 2 large eggs.
• 1 egg white.
• 1 potato, peeled and quartered.
• 1 packet of active dry yeast.
• 4 cups of all-purpose flour.
• 2 cups of boiling water.
• ¼ cup o¾f vegetable oil.
• 1 ½ tablespoons of sugar.
• ½ tablespoon of salt.
• Cornmeal, to dust cookie sheet.

Preparation:

1. Put the potato into boiling water and boil for fifteen mins.
2. Discard the potato and allow the water to cool to about 110°F.
3. Transfer one-third of a cup of the potato water to a small bowl; then sprinkle the yeast over top of water and stir to combine. Set aside for three minutes.
4. Sift the all-purpose flour, salt, and ½ tablespoon of the sugar together into a suitably sized bowl; then add the yeast mixture. Stir in another 2/3 cup of the potato water and the vegetable oil. Add the eggs and stir to form a dough ball.
5. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until the ball is firm.
6. Place into a greased bowl, turning the dough so all sides are greased.
7. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and set aside in a warm place for about 60 minutes until the dough has risen to about double its original size. Punch the risen dough down to flatten and remove from bowl.
8. Cut the dough into eighteen equal pieces and shape each piece into a six-inch long, ¾-inch thick rope.
9. Bring the ends of each rope together and pinch to close, using a little water on the ends to help secure them. Cover all rings with the towel and allow to rise for 20 minutes.
10. Preheat your oven to 450°F.
11. Lightly grease a cookie sheet and dust with cornmeal.
12. Bring the 2 quarts of water to a boil and add the remaining sugar to the boiling water
13. Drop the bagels into the boiling water one at a time, cooking each for 3 minutes, turning once in the middle. As each bagel is removed from the water, place it on the cookie sheet.
14. Paint the tops of the bagels with the egg white that has been beaten with 1 teaspoon of water.
15. Bake for fifteen minutes or until the bagels are a golden brown color.

Notes: