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.
Others deny it has any business in their bagels. I suggest it's worth tracking down. Malt also assists with browning and feeds the yeast. Malt powder is easier to handle than syrup. If you want to get started right away and don't have malt on hand, you may use brown sugar as a substitute.