Cinnamon & raisin sourdough bagels

This will ensure that the raisins won't dry out the dough.

Add the water to a big mixing bowl and combine with starter, salt, sugar and cinnamon. Add flour bit by bit until all ingredients are combined. Due to the lower hydration, the dough will be quite stiff, which is ideal for forming bagels later on.

This is best done by hand, but could also be carefully in a machine.

The duration for bulk fermentation will vary on your ambient temperature and starter strength. Unless your room temperature is very high, it's easiest to let the dough ferment overnight for 8-12 hours.

Remove dough from bowl onto an unfloured work surface. If you want to be precise, weigh your dough and then calculate how much each bagel should weigh. Split up the dough equally (this base recipe is for 8 bagels) and shape each piece into a ball. Then let the dough rest for 15 minutes.

Prepare a baking tray with parchment paper and lightly cover the paper with oil. Now comes the fun part: take a ball of dough and poke a hole through the middle using your thumb. Then insert a finger from each hand into the hole and stretch the bagel from the inside by spinning it around your fingers. The hole should be slightly bigger than you want it in the end, as it will shrink again. Place the bagel on the parchment paper and repeat with the other balls. Cover the bagels with a damp cloth and let the bagels rest for 15 minutes while you prepare the water bath.

Heat up water in a big pot, which can ideally hold 2-3 bagels at a time. Disolve the honey in the water bath. The water should be simmering, but not fully boiling.

Boil 2-3 bagels at a time. Simmer them for 30 seconds, then flip them over and simmer them for another 30 seconds. At some point the bagels will probably float to the top. Take out the bagels and return them to the baking sheet.

Put the baking tray with your bagels into the center rack of the oven. Depending on your oven the bagels take 20-25 minutes until they are done. Let them cool on a wire rack.

For the ideal texture, the bagels should cool down before eating them. But they are absolutely delicious when they're still warm, so feel free to ignore that advice and dig in!