Instructions:
Stir the honey into the 1/2 cup warm water and then stir in the yeast and let sit ten minutes until frothy. In a large bowl combine the yeast mix with the rest of the ingredients, working in the unbleached flour until you have a kneadable dough. Knead on a floured surface for 10 minutes and then let rise till doubled in size in a lightly oiled bowl covered with a cloth. Punch the dough down and divide into four balls. Work with only one ball at a time and keep the rest in a cool place so they don’t rise too much while you work with each ball. Divide each ball into four pieces. Flatten each round piece and work a hole into the centre with your fingers. Place on a floured surface and let rise 1/2 - 3/4 hour. Drop each bagel into a boiling water bath and flip over after 1 minute and allow to boil another minute. Place on a pan generously sprinkled with cornmeal. Brush each bagel with liquid from 1 egg yolk combined with 2 tbsp. water and sprinkle with your choice of sesame or poppy seeds. Bake at 350F for 20 - 25 minutes till nicely browned. Then repeat with each of the next four balls of dough. Experiment with adding flavourings of your choice: i.e. onions, herbs, cheese etc.