Nate’s Jalapeño Bagels

1 3/4 cups lukewarm water
1/2 tsp. dry yeast
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
5 to 6 cups flour
1/3 cup jalapeño, chopped
1/4 cup dried red peppers

Mix water, yeast, salt, & sugar. Add flour and jalapeños, mix into a ball. Knead for 10 - 12 minutes adding more flour if necessary, until dough is stiff. Add red peppers and knead for 3 min. Let dough rest 10 min, then cut into 12 pieces with a knife.

Roll each piece of dough on a table to form long cigar like shapes. Then, for each of the pieces, connect the two ends by over lapping them about 3/4 of an inch and rolling the ends together to make a ring shape. Make sure each joint is secure or it will come apart while boiling.

Cover with a damp towel and let rise 1 to 1 1/2 hours in a warm spot. In a large pot, bring 1 to 2 gal of water to a rolling boil. Place bagels in boiling water & boil until they float (15 to 30 sec). Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake @ 400 for 10 - 15 min or brown. Makes approximately 15 odd shaped bagels.