If you allow bagels to rise too much before being shaped, the dough becomes slack and the hardy rings cannot hold their shape in the water bath. If you have a mixer with a dough hook, make sure you give the bagels a sufficient knead on low speed. Food processors also do a good job on bagels. Place ingredients in the work bowl starting with water and ending with flour, being careful not to let the yeast and salt come in direct contact with each other. Knead until dough forms a ball and continue for one or two more minutes.
Bread machines make great bagel dough.
When using a bread machine, place ingredients in the tub following the order prescribed in the recipe and run machine on 'Dough' mode. As soon as the dough is mixed, remove it from the machine and continue with the recipe. Do not allow the dough to sit and rise in the machine. Malt gives bagels a special flavor. Some professional bakers swear by it.