Water Bagels (Plain)

"Posted in reply to a message board request. This is a recipe for plain, "NYC style", water bagels. IMHO, this recipe makes a very good bagel. I've had this recipe for some 40+ years, and I'm clueless as to where/who I originally got it from. Prep time includes the rising time. Note: The natural minerals in your local tap water will make a difference in the end product."
 
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photo by Brian T. photo by Brian T.
photo by Brian T.
photo by Meghan at Food.com photo by Meghan at Food.com
photo by Meghan at Food.com photo by Meghan at Food.com
photo by Meghan at Food.com photo by Meghan at Food.com
photo by corrie0227 photo by corrie0227
Ready In:
1hr 52mins
Ingredients:
7
Yields:
12 Bagels
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ingredients

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directions

  • In a large bowl thoroughly mix 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt and undissolved yeast.
  • Gradually add warm water to dry ingredients and beat for 2 minutes with electric mixer (at medium speed), scrape bowl occasionally.
  • Add 1/2 cup flour.
  • Beat at high speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl.
  • Stir in enough additional flour to make a soft dough (about 2 to 2 1/2 cups).
  • Turn dough on to a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes).
  • Place dough in ungreased bowl, cover and let rise in warm, draft free place for 20 minutes.
  • (Dough will NOT be doubled in bulk.) Punch dough down and turn out on to a lightly floured board.
  • Roll dough into a rectangle, 12 x 10 inches.
  • Cut dough into 12 equal strips, 1 x 10 inches each.
  • Pinch ends of strips together to form a circle.
  • Place on ungreased baking sheets.
  • Cover and let rise in warm, draft free place for 20 minutes.
  • (Dough will NOT be doubled in bulk.) In a large shallow pan, boil a 1 3/4 inch depth of water.
  • Lower heat and add a few bagels at a time.
  • Simmer bagels for 7 minutes (3 1/2 minutes on each side).
  • Remove bagels from water and place on a towel to cool.
  • Cool bagels for 5 minutes, then place them on ungreased baking sheets.
  • Bake bagels at 375°F for 10 minutes.
  • In a small bowl, beat egg white with cold water.
  • Remove bagels from oven and brush with egg white/water mixture.
  • Return bagels to oven and bake about 20 minutes longer, or until done.
  • Remove bagels from baking sheets and cool on wire rack.

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Reviews

  1. These bagels are great. I've never made bagels before but have always wanted to. They are time consuming, but taste really wonderful. Mine look more like the rings you'd toss at a fair but, lesson learned :) I'll know for next time to shape them better. Also, I didn't grease the cookie sheet for the first batch and they stuck reallllly bad! Second batch I used sprayed parchment paper and it worked great. I will be making these again...I learned a few lessons with the first batch!
     
  2. Thanks for this. I've made these probably a dozen times now. Over time, I've found the following changes suit me best: 1. I let my bread machine take care of the first 7 steps on the dough setting, then take it from there. 2. I use half white whole wheat flour, and add gluten. 3. I add a little brown sugar to the boiling water. <br/><br/>I always use the egg wash--it makes them shiny and helps the sesame seeds stick. (Also, 1 package of yeast = .75 oz of yeast = 4.5 teaspoons of yeast.)
     
  3. We made these per the given directions and they turned out great. To shape the bagels we rolled the dough into balls and stabbed a hole through each one. We brought them to Mother's Day brunch and everyone loved them.
     
  4. I use this recipe on a regular basis. It gets the best results in minimal time.
     
  5. My family absolutely LOVED this recipe. My husband paid for my tires in exchange for a batch,lol. Time consuming if you are making a lot (and I made a BUNCH) but not difficult. I have made these twice now, and have been called a bagel making godess. Much better than store bought. These last awhile in tupperware, I have been trying to get around to freezing some for later, but they just don't last that long. I also made 8 bagels with this recipe and used the hole poking method. Thank you so much for a fantastic recipe. I will be making these often.
     
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Tweaks

  1. Big shiny chewy bagels that really plumped with boiling! Turned golden brown with baking. Taste is great! Used sourdough starter instead of plain water,1/2 t yeast & 1T vital gluten (so they last). Added 1/4c sugar & 2T salt to boiling water. Needed the 30 minutes in the oven at 375 degrees F. Thank you Dee514, we will use your recipe again & again!
     
  2. Wow, these are the best bagels ever and a budget saver too. I was able to make 32 bagels for less than $1 which comes to 3 1/8 cents per bagel instead of 50 cents per bagel. I made 2 double batches, making 8 bagels instead of 12 as the recipe stated, leaving some plain and topping others with sesame seed, poppy seed or a mix of the two plus salt, garlic powder and flax seed. Changes: Tried both the poke-a-hole method and rope method for forming. The rope method produced a prettier bagel, but the poke-a-hole method was easier. I also used about 20% freshly ground whole wheat flour with great results. Added 2-3 Tbs sugar to the water bath. I did not use the egg wash but instead dipped the wet bagels right out of the water bath. Baked at 425 for 12-15 minutes until browned on top. I will be making these regularly.
     

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

I'm married (46 years to the same lucky guy) and have 2 kids, a daughter 41, a son 36, and 2 beautiful grand daughters (8 yrs and 6 yrs). I have always enjoyed cooking and baking, especially breads :) One of my favorite quotes:?? Computers are like air conditioners; they stop working when you open Windows.
 
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