In a small bowl, add yeast, sugar and 1/2 cup of the warm water; do not stir. Let mixture sit 5 minutes until yeast is foamy, then stir with a fork until yeast dissolves.

In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, stir together flour and salt. Make a well in the center; add yeast mixture. Pour 1/2 of the remaining warm water into the bowl; stir to combine. Mix, adding remaining water as needed until a smooth dough forms.

Knead dough by hand on a lightly floured counter top, adding more flour as needed until a stiff, firm but smooth and elastic dough forms, about 10 minutes; OR, increase speed of stand mixer to medium and knead dough with a dough hook, adding more flour as needed until a stiff, firm but smooth and elastic dough forms, about 5-6 minutes. Shape dough into ball and place in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Once dough is doubled in size, punch down and let rest 10 minutes. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a smooth ball. Use your finger to poke a hole in the center of each ball, stretching the hole until it is as big as half the diameter of the entire bagel (it might look too big at first, but it will shrink when you boil/bake it). Place bagels on a lightly greased or silicone mat-lined baking sheet. Cover with a damp towel or lightly greased plastic wrap and let rest 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then reduce heat to just below a simmer. Using a slotted spoon, lower a few bagels at a time into the water. Allow bagels to float to the top. Leave bagels in the water 1-2 minutes, then flip over and leave in the water another 1-2 minutes (the longer they stay in the water, the chewier they become). Remove bagels with slotted spoon and return to prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining bagels.

Bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing.