Rainbow Pride Flag Bagels

Make the red dough: Add the warm water and red food coloring to a medium bowl and stir until the food coloring is dissolved. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water, then add the brown sugar, flour, and salt and mix until the dough begins to come together. Use your hands to gently knead in the bowl until there are no dry spots, 1–2 minutes (the dough doesn’t need to be completely smooth at this point), then bring the dough together in a ball. Set the dough in a small dish inside a gallon-size zip-top plastic bag and seal to prevent the dough from drying out. Repeat to make the orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple doughs. After mixing the final dough, let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

Remove a dough ball from the bag. On a lightly floured surface, knead for 30–60 seconds, until smooth. Return the dough to the plastic bag and repeat with the remaining colors.

Let the dough rise in a warm spot for 40–45 minutes, until 1½ times their original size.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Transfer the purple dough to a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into an 8 x 6-inch rectangle. (You should need very little flour, if any, to roll the dough out.) Roll out the blue dough to an 8 x 6-inch rectangle. Place on top of the purple rectangle, making sure not to overlap the edges so that each color remains exposed. Repeat with the green, yellow, orange, and red doughs, in this order. Use your hands to stretch and flatten the stacked dough rectangle as needed to maintain the 8 x 6-inch dimensions.

Use a sharp knife to cut the dough lengthwise into 6 1-inch-wide strips. Return 5 of the strips to the plastic bag to prevent them from drying out.

Use your fingertips to lightly roll the dough strip back and forth 5–6 times to round the square edges. Once rounded, use your palms to apply light pressure, rolling the dough strip back and forth while moving outwards, until it is about 12 inches long. Grab an end of the dough strip in each hand and twist 1–2 times to swirl the colors. Bring the ends together in a ring, overlapping about 1½ inches. Press the ends together to seal. Use your palm to roll the overlapping dough against the surface to help seal, if needed. Make sure the bagel hole is at least 2 inches wide, using your fingers to carefully stretch and widen the hole if necessary. Transfer the bagel to the prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough strips, spacing the bagels at least 2 inches apart. Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap or place in a large, clean recycled plastic bag to prevent the bagels from drying out. Let proof for 25–30 minutes, until slightly puffy.

Arrange a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

While the bagels are proofing, prepare the water bath: Add the water, baking soda, and flour to a large pot. Stir to dissolve the baking soda and flour. Bring the water to a boil over high heat and let boil for at least 5 minutes.

Carefully place 2–3 bagels (depending on the size of the pot) upside down into the boiling water. Boil for 40 seconds, flipping halfway through. Use a slotted spatula or spoon to lift the bagel out of the water, letting the excess water drip off, then transfer back to the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining bagels. Let the bagels cool for 5 minutes

Bake the bagels for 20–22 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown. Let cool completely before slicing.

Enjoy!