I'd say this looks more like bagels.  The previous ones were a little too small.  4 oz are the right size.  I also used a homemade malt powder,  tried to sprout my own with wheat berries.  Soaked for 3-4 days.  There was a little white sprout, but somehow didn't like the ones in Dan Lepard's book on The Homemade Loaf.  But I went ahead to dry and grind it then.  I added in this ingredient, but still without malt syrup,  I substituted with brown sugar.  The colouring looks fine I guess.

The puff was much better, the taste was chewy and there's a tinge of sweetness - could it be the malt powder?  I wonder. Perhaps.  

But my 2nd batch that went in didn't puff as much,  see bottom left picture,  the comparison,  the one on the right is the 2nd batch,  I suspect its the ice cold water,  most melted after the 1st batch.

More details here: click here.  

I'd like to attempt the Jeffrey Hamelman's bagels which Lindy did a great job a few weeks ago.  However, I can't seem to find diastatic malt powder in the supermarket here (in China) :(.

I'd really love to do the bagels,  can anyone suggest an alternative that I can use? or if I exclude it,  will it make a difference?

Jenny

I purchased some Malt Powder at an Indian Market at our local Farmers Market.  Is there a difference between Malt Flour and Malt Powder. The Malt Powder has some bits of the hull in it.  It also doesn't say whether it is diastatic or non-diastatic.  I have used it in my bagel recipe (Montreal Bagels from TFL). They are most delicious.  

i bought some high gluten flour from naples. i used it and it was good but i wasn't blown away with the difference. is there any difference if you add in wheat gluten than using high gluten flour.

i make bagels and have been using barley malt syrup in the dough and in the boiling water. i just tried diastatic malt powder instead in the dough. is there a difference from the syrup. thanks.