Pour ½ cup warm water, sugar, and yeast into the bowl of your stand mixer. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add in flour, salt, and remaining warm water. Depending on humidity, you may not need to use all of the remaining ¾ cup water.

Using the dough hook attachment on your stand mixer, knead the dough on low speed for about 10 minutes. The dough should be smooth and not stick to the bowl.

Cover the bowl with Saran Wrap or a kitchen towel and let rise for 1 hour. Once the dough has risen, punch down and let rise again for an additional 10 minutes.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and preheat oven to 425° F. Meanwhile, divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a ball and shape into bagels.

Once the water is boiling, gently place 2-3 bagels into the pot. Boil for about 1 minute on each side. Remove and place on prepared baking sheet.

If topping, brush melted butter or egg wash substitute over bagels and sprinkle on the seasoning. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden. Remove from oven and place bagels on a cooling rack. Let cool completely before digging in!