Mix flour, salt, sugar, yeast, and any optional mix-ins together in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour the water into the center.

Mixer: Connect the dough hook attachment, start the mixer on the slowest speed and give the dough a minute or two to incorporate, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

By hand: Pour the warm water into the well and use a wooden spoon or spatula to begin mixing, gradually incorporating more flour until the dough comes together.

If the dough looks dry, add up to an additional ¼ cup water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing or kneading well between additions to give the water time to absorb.

Once the dough comes together into a shaggy mass, it's time to knead.

Mixer: up the speed to low-medium and let the mixer run for 3-4 minutes, adding more flour if the dough appears to be sticking to the bowl.

By hand: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and gather it into a ball. Fold top of the dough down over on itself, rotating a quarter turn between each fold. Repeat for 8-10 minutes, incorporating as much flour as you can from the counter into the dough.

Shape the dough into a smooth round ball, and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Let it rise for an hour in a warm spot (70-72°F) until about doubled in size.

Preheat your oven to 425°F and fill a wide, deep pan or large pot with at least 3 inches of water, and bring it to a low boil on the stove.

Deflate the dough and divide it into eight equal pieces and shape them into balls.

Gently flatten the piece of dough against a lightly floured surface, then tuck the edges up into the middle, pinching them together to form a smooth surface on the underside of the dough.

Starting with the first dough ball you shaped, coat your thumb in flour and poke it through the seam-side of the dough, pushing any extra edges into the middle.

Cover the shaped bagels with a damp paper towel or clean dish cloth and let them rest for 10 minutes.

Gently drop your shaped bagels into the pot of boiling water, top-side down. Work in batches as needed. Boil bagels for 1-2 minutes per side.

Remove the shaped bagels from the water and put them on a parchment or silicone baking mat lined baking sheet.

Brush each bagel with egg wash making sure to get the sides and centers. Add any desired toppings.

When all the bagels have been boiled, egg washed, and topped, transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake them for 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Remove the bagels from the oven and transfer immediately to cool on a wire rack.