Split or whole, smeared with cream cheese or stuffed with smoked salmon, the bagel is the ringed baked good to rule them all.Brought to the United States by Eastern European immigrants in the early 20th century, the bagel has become a beloved staple of the American deli scene, launching a thousand schmears, lox spreads, and power brunches.At its peak in the 1990s, more bagels were bought and eaten than doughnuts.

But now’s the time to heed the siren call for the home-boiled, home-baked bagel.Our two recipes are an ode to two classics, the solidly customizable plain bagel and the slightly sweet raisin-studded version.We’re not going to get into a rumble over whether these bagels beat your deli favorite or your grandma’s secret recipe.

But they offer the ideal cornerstones of a true bagel: compact, bouncy crumb and toothsome, glossy crust.Follow our steps and tips from our test kitchen experts so you can bring the bagel to your home kitchen.Basic Bagels Print Recipe Pin Recipe Makes 12 bagels Ingredients  7 cups (889 grams) bread flour2 tablespoons (18 grams) kosher salt1¾ teaspoons (5.25 grams) instant yeast2⅓ cups (560 grams) warm water (120°F/49°C to 130°F/54°C)½ cup (170 grams) plus 2 tablespoons (42 grams) barley malt syrup, divided8 cups (1,920 grams) plus 1 tab

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