Preparation

• Fry the bacon until crisp. Drain and chop finely, reserving the bacon grease.

• In a large bowl, combine 1½ cups of flour and the active dry yeast. Set aside.

• In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, salt and warm water. Add this to the flour-yeast mixture. Add the reserved bacon grease to the mixture, stirring to mix well.

• In ¼-cup increments, add the remaining 1½ cups of flour to make a kneadable dough.

• Turn onto a floured work surface and knead until smooth. Cover and let rest until doubled in size, about 1½ hours.=

• Divide into 12 portions. With floured hands, shape each portion into a smooth ball. Poke a hole in the center of each round with your finger and pull the dough apart to form a bagel shape. Set on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover and let rise for 1 hour.

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil the bagels for 7 minutes, turning once. Drain.

• Bake for 35 minutes. Serve hot out of the oven.