I almost always prefer the slight sourness that develops from a long cold rise in the refrigerator over wham-bam 2 hour bagels. Also makes it easier to have them for breakfast without waking with the birds. I add a little baking soda to the boiling water, per P Reinhart in the bread Bakers apprentice. Some recipes may call for sugar in the water, either helps with browning.
On a side note, a catering cook in my kitchen was making bagels recently and used carob syrup, which I had never heard of, instead of barley malt syrup. I had a taste, it was dark and woodsy. I think it would be fine to sub a little molasses or other dark (not too sweet) syrup if you can’t find malt syrup. He also dipped the bagels in an egg wash before dipping in seeds. Unfortunately it didn’t help at all with keeping the seeds glued on, so I will not be adopting that step.
