First, place the water into a jug & heat to 38°c in a microwave (alternatively, you could warm the water in a pan then transfer to a jug) then sprinkle over the yeast & whisk to combine. Leave to go bubbly, 5-10 minutes.
Next, place the flour, salt & malt extract into the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attached. Give the activated yeast another whisk then add into the flour.Mix on a medium speed until you have a smooth dough that passes the windowpane test, roughly 5 minutes. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl & leave to double in size, 1-1.5 hours. In the meantime, make the everything bagel seasoning by combining all of the ingredients in a bowl.
Once the dough has risen, knock it back then transfer to a clean worksurface & divide into 6 equal pieces (they should weigh around 110g each). Shape each piece into a ball & leave to bench rest (covered with a tea towel) for 10 minutes.
Preheat an oven to 200°c & line 1 baking tray with baking parchment & lightly oil another.
Now to shape the bagels.Lightly flour your thumb & index finger then press through the centre of a ball of dough to make a hole. Gently widen the hole so that it is 2-3 cm wide then place the shaped bagel onto the lightly oiled baking tray. Repeat with the remaining dough then leave to rise at room temperature for 20 minutes. Whilst the bagels are rising, get the boiling liquid ready.Fill a large saucepan with water then stir in the bicarbonate of soda & malt extract. Bring to a boil over a high heat then reduce to a simmer. In batches of 3, boil the bagels for 30 seconds on each side. Use a slotted spoon or a spider strainer to remove from the water then place onto the lined baking tray.Once you’ve boiled all of the bagels, top each one with the everything bagel seasoning then bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until a deep golden brown & risen.