Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or lightly oiling it. This ensures your bagels won't stick and gives you a clean surface to work on. Having everything ready before you start mixing means you can move directly from shaping to baking without any delays.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the room temperature cottage cheese and egg until well combined. The mixture should be relatively smooth with only small curds visible. Room temperature ingredients blend more smoothly than cold ones, which prevents lumps in your final dough.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond flour, baking powder, salt, and garlic powder. This distributes the leavening agent and seasonings evenly throughout the flour so you won't have pockets of strong flavor in your bagels. I like to whisk thoroughly here rather than just stirring—it makes a real difference in the final texture.

Pour the wet ingredient mixture from Step 2 into the bowl of dry ingredients from Step 3. Stir until just combined, then knead the dough with your hands for about 1-2 minutes until it becomes smooth and uniform. The dough should hold together without being sticky—if it feels too wet, a pinch more almond flour helps.

Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll it into a ball, then use your thumb to poke a hole through the center and gently stretch it into a bagel shape with a hole about the size of a quarter. Place each bagel on the prepared baking sheet. If desired, brush the tops lightly with water and sprinkle with everything bagel spice and coarse salt for a traditional finish, or use coarse sugar for a slightly sweet version. I find that pressing the toppings gently ensures they stick during baking.

Bake the bagels in your preheated 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes, until they're lightly golden on top and firm to the touch. The baking time may vary slightly depending on your oven, so start checking around the 20-minute mark. Once done, let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.