Mix: In a large bowl, add your starter and water and stir until the starter has dissolved. Then add honey and stir until dissolved. Now add salt and 2 C flour and mix until incorporated. Next, add 1 C of flour and with your hands, squeeze the flour until it is incorporated.
Knead: Remove the dough from your bowl and place it on a clean counter top. Add your remaining 1 C of flour, and knead your dough until all of the flour is incorporated. You can wet your hands occasionally to help your dough take in all of the flour.
Rise: In a clean large bowl, put the dough in the bowl and let it rise on your countertop covered for at least 8 hours or over night.
Shape: Remove your dough from the bowl. Shape your dough into a long log. Mark 8 pieces out, and then cut them with a knife or bench scraper. Roll and form it into a tight ball and place it to the side. Do the same thing to all other pieces.
Form Bagel: Flatten your dough out a little with your palm. Then poke a hole in the center of the dough. Using your two index fingers, place them inside the hole and roll your dough in a circular motion to create a nice even hole in the center of the bagel. Do the same for all other pieces. Place all of the bagel dough on a pan covered in parchment. Then cover them with a wet tea towel and let them rise for 1-4 hours, until nearly doubled in size.
Boil: Fill a large pot with water and place it on the stove on high heat. At this time you can also preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Gather your desired toppings like cheese and sesame seeds and have them ready nearby. Once your water is boiling, add brown sugar and baking soda to the water. Using a slotted spoon, dunk your bagel in the water. Only boil 2-3 at a time. Boil on each side for 30 seconds. As soon as you remove them from the water, dip them in their toppings and then place them on the same baking sheet you used earlier. Do this with all 8 bagels.
Bake: Bake your bagels in the oven at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!
