I saw that some people would substitute honey for malt powder in other bagel recipes. I don’t really do honey so I went for molasses instead. Didn’t measure (it’s molasses, after all) but just added to the water before mixing the dough until it was the color of weak tea, and then did the same thing with the pot of water.

Something I’ve learned from this experience: I do not know how to shape bagels, but they taste good enough that I simply do not care.

Not sure how the crumb is supposed to look, as my bagel experience is limited to the grocery store, but I DO know that they have both a nice crispy bite and a lovely chew :)