Pour water over sugar and yeast in a bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix salt and flour together. Stir yeast water into dry ingredients. Knead dough for 5 minutes. Return dough to bowl and cover with a cloth. Allow to rise for one hour.
Divide dough into sixteen equal sized pieces and shape into round balls. Shape a hole into center of dough and stretch slightly into a ring. Arrange bagels on baking sheets and cover with towel.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place bagels into boiling water, cooking on each side for 2 minutes. Return bagels to baking sheet. Add toppings, if desired.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Recipe by Rachel Schultz at https://rachelschultz.com/2012/10/21/homemade-bagels/