Bagels and Cream Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 cup room temperature water
• 1 packet yeast
• 5 spoonfuls sugar (for sweeter bagels) or 4 spoonfuls sugar (for savory bagels)
• 6-7 cups flour
• milk (for cream cheese)
• vinegar or lemon juice (for cream cheese)
• chives (for seasoning cream cheese)
• baking soda (for bath)
• oil (for bagel topping)

Instructions

1. Pour yeast into room temperature water and let it sit without mixing.
2. Add sugar based on desired sweetness.
3. Dump in flour (no more than 6-7 cups) and mix in spices or additional ingredients like blueberries or chocolate chips.
4. Make a crater in the flour and pour in the yeast mixture, working it in.
5. Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes until gluten builds up.
6. Cover the dough and let it rise for about 30 minutes.
7. In a saucepan, pour in milk and heat carefully to avoid boiling.
8. Once milk starts to steam, add vinegar or lemon juice spoonful by spoonful to curdle the milk.
9. Strain the curds from the whey and blend the curds with chives for cream cheese.
10. Refrigerate the cream cheese.
11. Cut the risen dough into parts (6 for larger bagels).
12. Preheat the oven to 425°F and prepare a baking soda bath.
13. Dip each bagel into the boiling bath for 1 minute on each side.
14. Place bagels on a pan, let them dry, and brush with oil.
15. Add any desired toppings or seasonings before baking.