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I’m thinking of trying my hand at making some bagels this weekend. I’ve baked a fair bit of bread but never tried bagels. I want to make the Montreal style bagels, those smaller, denser, chewy bagels, as opposed to the grocery store jobs that are more like a bun with a hole.
I know I have to boil before I bake, but does anyone know what different boiling times do to the final product? Should I boil one minute, two minutes? My plan was to use my basic bread dough, see how they come out and make adjustments after that. Any tips? If I want to add poppy seeds, do I need to put egg on as a poppy seed glue?
Advice appreciated….
27th Street 
Does it disturb you that you live in a place known for no particular good food? Just about every place on the planet has its own unique food with the place actually as part of the food name. You have Swedish meatballs, Peking duck, Montreal smoked meat and Montreal style bagels, Buffalo wings, Philly cheese steak, Boston baked beans, even rice a roni the San Francisco treat. But Toronto is known only for preferring foods from places other than Toronto like real Italian pizza or Montreal smoked meat. Peculiar.
Go find something like an Open Window Bakery and buy a half dozen bagels and spend the time you would spend messing with boiled dough on playing with the dogs. Bagels are over rated anyways.
I like baking bread, and I have a soft spot for the bagel.
We don’t have regional music in Toronto either. Ottawa Valley has a regional music; Cape Breton has regional music; New Brunswick has Acadian music. Here? Nope.
I have never even considered trying to make bagels, and am afraid I have absolutely no advice to offer. I will, however, taste-test them for you if you like.