Ingredients:

          10   oz. ice water

            1   tablespoon malt syrup

            1    tablespoon agave nectar

        500   grams bread flour

          15    grams vital wheat gluten

          10   grams instant or rapid-rise yeast

          17   grams salt

            ¼   cup sugar

            1   tablespoon baking soda

         1/3   cup corn meal

Instructions:

1. Stir ice water, malt syrup, and agave nectar together in 2-cup liquid measuring cup until malt syrup has fully dissolved. Process flour, wheat gluten, and yeast in food processor until combined, about 2 seconds. With processor running, slowly add ice water mixture; process until dough is just combined and no dry flour remains, about 20 seconds. Let dough stand for 10 minutes.

2. Add salt to dough and process until dough forms shaggy mass that clears sides of work bowl (dough may not form one single mass), 60 to 90 seconds. Transfer dough to unfloured counter and knead until smooth, about 1 minute. Divide dough into 6 equal pieces and cover loosely with plastic wrap.

3. Working with 1 piece at a time and keeping remaining pieces covered, form dough pieces into smooth, taut rounds. Let dough balls rest on counter, covered, for 15 minutes.

4. Sprinkle rimmed baking sheet or proofing box with cornmeal. Working with 1 dough ball at a time and keeping remaining pieces covered, using your hands and rolling pin, pat and roll dough balls into 5-inch rounds. Starting with edge of dough farthest from you, roll into tight cylinder. Starting at center of cylinder and working towards ends, gently and evenly roll and stretch dough into 8 to 9-inch-long rope. Do not taper ends. Rolling ends of dough under your hands in opposite directions, twist rope to form tight spiral. Without unrolling spiral, wrap rope around your fingers, overlapping ends of dough by about 2 inches under your fingers, to create ring shape.  Pinch ends of dough gently together. With overlap under your fingers, press and roll seam using circular motion on counter to fully seal. Transfer rings to prepared sheet or proofing box leaving at least 1 inch between bagels. Let bagels stand at room temperature for 1 hour.  If using baking sheet cover tightly with plastic, refrigerate for 16 to 24 hours.

5. One hour before baking, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position, place baking stone on rack, and heat oven to 450 degrees.

6. Bring 4 quarts water, sugar, and baking soda to boil in large Dutch oven. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and spray rack with vegetable oil spray.

7. Transfer 2 bagels to boiling water and cook for 45 to 60 seconds per side. Using wire skimmer, remove bagels from water. If adding toppings, press tops of just-boiled bagels (side without cornmeal) gently into topping.  Move bagel to wire rack with corn meal side facing down. Repeat with remaining bagels.

8. Place sheet with bagels on preheated baking stone and pour ¾ cup boiling water into bottom of sheet. Bake until tops of bagels are beginning to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Using metal spatula, flip bagels and continue to bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes longer. Remove sheet from oven and let bagels cool on wire rack for at least 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Fully cooked bagels can be frozen for up to a month.