Oh wow, that’s nice to hear, thank you!

Thanks for asking since I didn’t make this clear in the recipe (adding it to the notes now). It is your choice, but here are some tips for choosing: Malt syrup and honey essentially do the same thing. They add sweetness and help with browning. When choosing which one, it really comes down to flavor preference. Baking soda adds alkalinity which gives the bagel the chewy inside and pretzel-like texture on the outside so I recommend adding it no matter which browning ingredient you choose. Hope this helps!

Thank you!