Freezing Bagel dough

2 Tlb Barley Malt Syrup in the boiling water….

I read quite a few bagel recipes and jotted notes down from several.  Here is what I do every time now and the bagels come out perfect.  Also if you are new to bagel making I found this video very helpful:  https://youtu.be/udnj19AfA54

Bernadette’s Bagel Recipe
★★★★★

Description:
The linked video is great to watch before making bagels for the first time:
https://youtu.be/udnj19AfA54

We love blueberry bagels so you will see me noting in the recipe below where I noted blueberries, had to offset and add extra flour, and had to mix them in….but those extra steps are noted, so if you don’t want blueberry bagels just skip those notes.  Adding blueberries adds an extra step of having to feel out how much flour to add to offset the extra hydration that comes with adding blueberries.  
I added blueberries so needed to tweak to account for the additional hydration.  Not a big deal but worth noting.
With blueberries this made 14 bagels, otherwise it makes 12 bagels.

Ingredients:
Bagel Dough (Yields 12) (14 bagels if you add blueberries)

511 g. Water (room temperature) (2-¼ cup)
40 g. Barley Malt Syrup (2 Tbsp)
2 1/4 tsp Active Dry Yeast
907 g. Bread Flour (King Arthur, Unbleached, Unbromated) (6 1/2 cups)
22 g. Sea Salt (Fine) (4-½ tsp.)

Blueberries Optional Dough Add:
210 g (1.5 cups) frozen blueberries (no need to thaw)
45 g of additional flour (plus 2-4 more cups on the side during kneading step)

Boiling Mixture:
8 cups Water
40 g. Barley Malt Syrup (2 Tbsp)
1 tsp baking soda

Egg Wash:
1 Egg 
1 Tlb Water

For rising and for baking:
Cornmeal
Directions:
Mixing the Bagel Sponge:

In the largest bowl combine the water, barley malt syrup, yeast, and half of the bread flour.
Stir together and beat using a rubber spatula until the mixture is well incorporated and resembles a batter.
Completely cover the bowl (ie platic wrap) and let ferment for 1 hour. (I usually place either in front of warm gas fireplace or on an 80 degree heating pad given my house is on the cool side).
**Optional if making blueberry bagels:  In a separate bowl toss the frozen blueberries with its additional flour.

After the Sponge Ferment:
After 1 hour the batter will have doubled in size and be very bubbly.

Mixing and Kneading the Final Bagel Dough:
**if making blueberry bagels, Set a bowl with 2-3 cups of additional flour nearby since extra will be needed as you knead, in order to offset the well hydrated blueberries.
To the batter add the remaining bread flour, salt and if using, gently fold in the blueberries that have been tossed with flour. Stir with a wooden spoon to incorporate or until the dough becomes shaggy. (If blueberries are used, Add extra flour if blueberry mixture is making the dough wet). Note: The dough should have low hydration and will seem dry at this point.
Scrape down the bowl and spoon, and scrape the dough onto the (unfloured) kitchen counter. 
Knead for 2 to 3 minutes to incorporate the dry ingredients into the dough. If making blueberry bagels, add flour if dough is still too hydrated given the well hydrated blueberries.
Once the dough becomes a cohesive mass. Knead the bagel dough for 8 to 10 minutes or until the Bagel Dough is smooth and elastic. Will need to knead longer if blueberries were added. Use the dough to pick up all of the loose flour on the counter. Note: Because the dough has low hydration it will require you to use your body weight to knead.
Place the Bagel Dough into the lightly oiled largest metal bowl and cover (ie lightly oiled plastic wrap). Let dough ferment and rise for 1 hour. This allows the dough to relax, rise and ferment after the kneading step.

Dividing and Making Logs:

After 1 hour of fermentation. Uncover the bowl and turn the bagel dough onto the (unfloured) kitchen counter. 
Weigh the full dough amount and divide by 4.4 oz (or 124 g) to calculate the number of bagels you will get. Cut the bagel dough into 12 pieces (or more depending on your calculation) with each piece weighing approximately 4.4 oz. (124 g.). Cover the 12 rough pieces on the counter with plastic.
Pre-shape the bagel dough pieces into cylinders: pull one piece out at a time, flatten it out and release all air bubbles, fold two opposite sides in, press down firmly, and then firmly roll one short side up to the other side into a cylinder, and roll it a few times to form it. (Don’t want to add air pockets in when rolling log). Return the dough cylinder to beneath the plastic wrap. Repeat until all dough pieces are rolled into cylinders.

Let the dough cylinders rest covered for 5-30 minutes minutes before final shaping. (Give it the longer 30 minutes of rest if blueberries were added)

Shaping the Bagels:
Lightly scatter cornmeal inside the bottom of three of my large round tupperware pie containers and set aside for the shaped bagels. (Or use a tray)
Work with 1 piece of dough at a time and leave the remaining bagel dough logs covered.
Place one bagel dough log on the unfloured work surface. Shape the bagel into a 9-inch log by rolling the dough underneath the palms of your hands. Making long motions back and forth and applying pressure to degas and release any trapped air bubbles and to lengthen the dough. Knock out any air bubbles with your palm if they exist.
Wrap the log of dough around your palm with the ends of the dough overlapping by 1-inch in your palm.
Place your palm on the work surface and roll to connect the ends of the dough. The hole in the center of the bagel will be large at this point. 
Remove the shaped bagel from your hand and place it in the container or on the tray you set aside above. (Or if planning to freeze some, this is a good time to put on a tray in the freezer).
Shape the remaining bagel pieces.

Close the lid onto the container (or cover tray with plastic wrap) with the shaped bagel dough and let it proof for 1 hour at room temperature, or place in fridge for 4-48 hours (place in fridge is my preference to help build flavor).

Boiling the Bagels:

If bagels were in the fridge, bring them out to sit at room temperature for 45-60 minutes. 
If they were in the freezer, lightly sprinkle some corn meal in a Tupperware pie container and place each frozen dough bagel in the container and close the lid (or put on tray and cover with plastic wrap). They will be thawed within 45 min, and then if desired put them near the gas fireplace or on the heating pad (80-90 degrees) to warm up a bit to “reactivate” the yeast (check to make sure they don’t over proof but my guess is 45 min to 1.5 hrs would probably be enough).
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Set up several wire racks with paper towels beneath to hold post-boil bagels.
Prepare egg wash. 
Prepare two sheet pans with parchment paper and a dusting of corn meal for the baking step. Fill a large pot with 8 cups of water and bring to a light boil.  Whisk in the Barley Malt Syrup and slowly add the baking soda. Heat to a low boil, then reduce to an active simmer.  
Boil bagels in batches of two or three for 45 seconds per side.
Use a spider or slotted spoon to transfer the bagels to a wire rack and repeat with the remaining bagels on the first sheet. The bagels will swell in the water, then deflate when removed, but they will puff up again in the oven.
For each boil batch, be sure to let it come back to a boil before you drop in more.

Baking the Bagels:
Place bagels on the prepared sheet pans.
Brush bagels with egg wash and add any toppings you like. 
Bake the bagels at 450 degrees until golden brown for 18 to 22 minutes.
Rotate the pan (front to back, back to front) halfway through baking to ensure even browning. Tent with aluminum foil if getting too dark. 

Cooling Bagels:
Let bagels cool on the sheet pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely. Bagels are best eaten within 4-24 hours after baking!
Repeat boiling, coating, baking, and cooling the remaining bagels.

Storing Bagels:
Bagels are meant to be eaten the same day they are made or frozen in an air-tight plastic bag after they cool to room temperature. To defrost frozen bagels, fully wrap a frozen bagel in a paper towel and heat in microwave about 30 seconds. 

Frozen bagel dough:
- Freeze after shaping, first on a tray in the freezer, and then pop each of them into a freezer bag
- Thaw: I use my Tupperware pie container…scatter cornmeal, place the frozen bagel shaped dough on top of the cornmeal, and repeat with other bagels. Cover with top. You can either allow a very slow thaw of 10-18 hours (or overnight) in the fridge. Or I found that they thaw in 45 min on the counter.
- Proof: Then move them near the fireplace (still covered) or on the heating pad (80-90 degrees) to proof before boiling/baking.
- Boil/Bake as normal

Notes:Egg wash is optional but highly suggested, to give the bagels a golden brown color that is slightly shiny. Egg washes can make the bagels look more professional, a bit crispier, or act as a binder for any toppings you add.


Source: https://justonebiteplease.com/2016/06/03/bagels-old-school-hand-shaped-boiled-and-hearth-baked/