Bagels
Sprinkle yeast over warm water in large bowl and let stand to dissolve. Add oil, 2 teasp salt, and 1-1/2 c flour. Beat until smooth.
Add enough of the remaining flour to make a manageable dough, then turn out onto alightly floured surface and knead for a minute. Let rest for 10 minutes, then knead for 10-12 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Sprinkle on additional flour as necessary to keep dough from being too sticky. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk.
Punch the dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut into about 16 golf-ball-sized pieces. Between palms of floured hands, roll into smooth ball. Form each into a ring by poking your index finger through the middle and stretching the ball with your fingers to make the opening about an inch in diameter.
To make the shape uniform, place circle on a floured board, put your floured index finger in hole, and twirl your finger around so the dough spins, making a large doughnut-shaped ring about 4 inches across. As you spin, the hole will become quite large and it will shrink slightly when you stop. Place each bagel, once it has been formed,on a lightly floured surface.
In the meantime, bring about 3 quarts water to a boil in a large skillet or pan. Add a handful of table salt or coarse salt if you want the bagels to have a slightly salty crust. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lower the bagels, four at a time, into the gently boiling water. Cook for 3 minutes on one side, then turn and cook for 3 minutes more on the otherside. As they are done, remove with a slotted spoon and arrange about an inch apart on greased baking sheets. When all have simmered, brush tops with beaten egg mixture. If you wish, sprinkle with additional coarse salt, or sesame, caraway, or poppy seeds, before making. Bake about 15 minutes or until golden on top. Remove from the baking cool on racks.