Nutty Multigrain Bagels

Combine warm water, yeast, and sugar in a bowl. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes, permitting the yeast and sugar to dissolve completely.

Combine bread flour, whole wheat flour, rolled oats, vital wheat gluten, wheat germ, flaxseed meal, and sea salt in a large bowl. Mix the dry ingredients thoroughly before adding buttermilk to the mixture. Stir until well combined, then add the yeast mixture and honey; continue stirring until no dry spots remain. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead the dough for approximately 7 minutes, at which point it should be soft and slightly sticky. If necessary, add more flour to achieve the desired consistency. Shape the dough into a ball and coat it with cooking spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning to coat evenly, then cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm, draft-free area for 2 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead briefly. Cut the dough in half, returning one half to the bowl and covering it. Form the other half into a cylinder and cut it into quarters, then cut each quarter in half to yield 8 equal-sized pieces of dough. Shape the dough pieces into balls and repeat with the remaining half of dough.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line three baking sheets with waxed paper, a flour sack towel, and two parchment paper sheets sprinkled with cornmeal.

Combine 3 quarts of water and brown sugar in a large pot; bring the mixture to a boil.

Meanwhile, flatten one dough ball slightly and press your index fingers through the center until they meet. Rotate your fingers to stretch a hole about 1 3/4-inch in diameter. Place the bagel on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough balls.

Reduce the heat under the brown sugar-water mixture until it simmers. Add 2 bagels at a time; boil each for 30 seconds per side. Transfer the boiled bagels to the towel-lined baking sheet to drain, then transfer them to the parchment paper-lined sheets.

Whisk an egg white and 1 teaspoon of cool water together in a small bowl; brush the mixture onto the tops of the bagels.

Bake the bagels in the preheated oven for 12 minutes. Flip the bagels and continue baking until golden brown, about 13 minutes more.

Transfer the bagels to a wire rack to cool.