Mix yeast and 1 1/3 cups of flour in a bowl. Heat water (with maybe 1 teaspoon of salt) until warm to touch. Combine water with flour/yeast and mix. Once it is even, start kneading with your hands, combining with the other 1/2 cup of flour. continue kneading for about 10 minutes. The dough should be a tiny bit sticky.
Roll into a cylinder and cut into 8 equal pieces. Take one piece at a time and roll into into a ball, then, pushing with your fingers in the center, into the O shape of a bagel (if it is not an O shape, it will collapse when baked).
Place on a floured baking sheet. Let rise for 20-30 minutes, then flip them over and let rise for another 20-30 minutes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil (add about a tablespoon of salt) and boil each bagel for 2 minutes, flip and boil for another 2 minutes, then place back on the floured pan. Once all are boiled, bake for 25-30 minutes at 375 degrees F.
Whole Wheat Bread Flour works the best, for me. I have also used regular Bread Flour with good results, and a mix of regular Bread Flour with Whole Wheat Flour. All have turned out nicely (except the time I didn't make them into an O!)