Onion bagels are expensive to buy from your neighborhood Jewish deli, but we buy them because they are delicious and we can never have enough. Now you can stop spending so much money at the Jewish deli and make a Jewish deli out of your home. For Israeli spreads to put on your bagel, click here. 

Ingredients: 

· 2 cups warm water 
· 2 (¼ ounce) packets bulk active dry yeast 
· 4 tablespoons sugar , divided 
· 1 tablespoon salt 
· ½ cup chopped dehydrated onion 
· 5 -5 ¾ cups flour 
· cornmeal , for sprinkling on baking sheet 
· 1 egg yolk 
· 1 tablespoon water 

Preparation: 

Combine warm water, yeast and 3 tablespoons sugar. Let stand 5 minutes or until foamy. Stir in salt and onion. Gradually mix in 4 cups of flour, beat on medium speed for 5 minutes. Add enough of remaining flour to make a stiff dough. Turn onto floured board and knead until smooth and no longer sticky (about 15 minutes), or knead in heavy-duty mixer for 2 minutes, adding more flour as needed. 

Place in greased bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover; let rise until doubled in size (about 40 minutes). Knead dough lightly and divide into 12 equal pieces. To shape, knead each piece, forming it into a smooth ball. Holding ball with both hands, poke your thumbs through the center. 

With one thumb in hole, work around the perimeter, shaping like a doughnut 3-3 1/2 inches across. Place shaped bagel on lightly floured board, cover lightly and let stand in a warm place for 20 minutes. Bring 3 quarts of water and remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar to boiling in a large kettle (like a dutch oven). 

Adjust heat to keep it gently boiling. Lightly grease a baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Gently lift one bagel at a time and drop into water, boiling 4-5 at a time (depending on the size of your pot). Boil for 5 minutes, turning often. 

Lift out with a slotted spoon, drain briefly on a towel and then place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all bagels are boiled. Combine egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water and brush on top of bagels. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until well browned and crusty. Cool on rack. 

For coffee with your bagels, check out our coffee gallery.