Pour ½ cup warm water, yeast, and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer and let it sit for 5 minutes.

Add in flour, salt, and most of the remaining warm water. Depending on humidity and the region where you live, you may need all the water.

Make a firm dough that's not at all sticky. Knead the dough using the dough hook attachment, for 10 minutes, on low speed. When it's finished, the dough shouldn't stick to the bowl and should be smooth.

Remove the dough hook and cover the bowl for 1 hour to rise.

Preheat oven to 425° F and put a large pot of water on to boil. You'll need about 5 inches of water.

Punch down dough and let it rest 10 minutes.

Divide the dough in half, and then each half into fourths. You'll have 8 dough balls. On a lightly floured countertop, roll each dough into a tight ball.

With a floured thumb, jab a hole into the middle of each ball and stretch the dough until the hold is about twice the width of the thickness of the bagel, about 1½ inches in diameter. Shape all bagels and then add as many, that will fit comfortably into your pot, of gently boiling water.

Boil bagels for 1-2 minutes on each side.

The longer the boil, the chewier the bagel.

Use the handle of a wooden spoon to flip the bagels in the water. Remove bagels and place on a greased or silicon-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden. They will be ready to eat the next morning.

Eat and enjoy - to the glory of God! (1 Corinthians 10:31)