Whole Wheat-Flax Bagels!

I'm a bagel fanatic!  I could live on them if I could!  :)  I wanted to find a bagel recipe that I could tweak and make it super healthy and full of fiber!  Below you'll find the original recipe and what I did is in red.

My breakfast this morning - toasted w/ Earth Balance & vegan cheese

Original Recipe:

Vegan Bagels


Ingredients:
1 cup warm water (+ more if needed, I used about 1/4 cup more)
3 cups unbleached white flour (2 cups whole wheat, 1/2 cup white flour, 1/2 cup flaxseed meal)
2 tbsp. vital wheat gluten
2 tablespoons vegan granulated sugar
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoon yeast
sesame seeds, toasted (optional)

Directions:
Bread Machine Directions:

1. Except for sesame seeds, place all ingredients in bread machine and set for normal white vegan bread. (You may also add whatever seasoning you'd like for a flavored bagel at this step.)

2. Let the machine knead once and then turn off the machine and set a timer for 20 minutes.
3. Cut into eight equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 1 inch thick, wet ends and stick together. Transfer to a greased cookie sheet, cover, and let rest for 15 minutes in a warm place.

4. Fill a wok (or whatever you use) with about three inches of water. Place vegan sugar in this water and bring to a boil. Add bagels for 1 minute, turning them as they boil. Drain.

5. Return dough to the greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Bake at 550 degrees F for 15 minutes, or until desired browning occurs.  I baked mine at 400 degrees and kept an eye on them so they didn't burn... just bake until they're nice and brown.

Manual Directions:

1. Add warm water to a small bowl. Sprinkle on 1 package active dry yeast; do not stir. Cover with a saucer and allow to proof for 5 minutes. Stir and allow to proof for an additional 3 minutes. Mixture should be frothy. If it isn't, discard and start over.
2. In a bowl, mix together flour and salt. Mix in yeast-water mixture and lightly knead in the bowl. Cover and set aside to allow dough to rise, about 1 hour. (You may add whatever seasoning you'd like for a flavored bagel when adding the flour and salt.)

3. Cut into eight equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 1 inch thick, wet ends and stick together. Transfer to a greased cookie sheet, cover, and let rest for 15 minutes in a warm place.

4. Fill a wok (or whatever you use) with about three inches of water. Place vegan sugar in this water and bring to a boil. Add bagels for 1 minute, turning them as they boil. Drain.

5. Return dough to the greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Bake at 550 degrees F for 15 minutes, or until desired browning occurs.
Serves: 8
Preparation time: 1 hr