For everyone who’s asked, this is the bagel recipe I use. I don’t really know who this guy is, but the recipe has plenty of detail that suggests long practice.
When I follow this recipe to the letter I have been successful. It takes about an hour and a half. Last time I made these I made the dough the night before and stuck it in the fridge, but this is only because I didn’t want to wake up early enough to do it in the morning. In that case the dough was probably too fluffy–normally you want it kind of dense. I also have substituted whole wheat flour for much of the flour, but in this case you will have to add extra water and recognize the texture will be different. Two tips: oil the baking sheet more than you think you need to, and I would highly recommend a spider for pulling the bagels out of the water.
Is it worth it to make your own bagels at home rather than getting them from a bakery? I would say yes, as it’s difficult to find really good bagels most places, and you can easily make real ones at home, unlike homemade baguettes or similar. Also this keeps them the sometimes food they ought to be.