23 Reviews of Water Bagels (Plain)

From: Cooking4TenOfUs

On Jul 23, 2007

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.

From: Buster's friend

On Oct 26, 2007

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!

From: JavaDeb

On Dec 23, 2007

OMG - I've always avoided making bagels because I thought it was too hard. Living in a small rural town but coming from the east coast, I often want to cry at what passes for bagels around here. These were fantastic and we'll be making several additional batches tomorrow and playing with variations. The first round wasn't exactly pretty but tasted terrific! I will be making these many, many more times. Thank you so much for posting this! BTW - we have fairly hard water and had absolutely no issues with the water and these bagels.

From: Charlotte J

On Jul 8, 2006

This was our first time at making bagels. The directions were very easy to follow. They tasted so good about 15 minutes after they were taken out of the oven. Then in a couple of days I just popped one in the microwave for 20 seconds and I thought they just came out of the oven again. We made ours into mini bagels. Thanks for a great recipe Dee!

From: allimarie

On Mar 20, 2008

This recipe was EXCELLENT! I live in NY and am extremely picky when it comes to bagels. I tried another, higher-rated recipe on Recipezaar first, but those bagels just didn't work out very well (too bread-y, too yeast-y). When making these, I was alarmed because the dough didn't seem to rise at all, but maybe that was okay, because my bagels turned out SO GOOD! I will definitely make these again.

From: Chef #594468

On Apr 14, 2008

I have tried several bagel recipes but this is by far the best. I made it in my bread machine and the bagels turned out very good. Other than using the bread machine I wouldn't change a thing . They were so good.

From: Ma Field

On Jan 18, 2008

Exceptional flavor and pretty easy although time-intensive. We tried both ways and the "thumb" method made a more attractive bagel. Made them yesterday and I plan to make a dozen more in two days. Cost-effective and miles ahead of store-bought in flavor! Thank you SO much for a new addition to our regular bread baking schedule.

From: -Sylvie-

On Oct 19, 2004

I did everything according to the recipe, apart from replacing 3/4 cup of plain flour with wholemeal as I ran out. Whereas some turned out okay some seem to still be kind of gooey on the inside but getting hard at the bottom. I reckon it has something to do with the boiling stage as the ones that are not right already looked different after boiling them. I'll try it again though as the ones that have turned out are quite tasty.

From: lwalker270

On Mar 31, 2007

This was my first attempt at making bagels. Granted, mine weren't as pretty as store-bought, but they tasted great and were gone in a flash! They came out of the oven golden brown on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. My kids loved them and even my husband, who isn't a big bagel fan, ate several and commented how good they were. Next time I may add some blueberries or apples and cinnamon.

From: SugarMegnolia

On Sep 15, 2007

I was surprised these took as little time as they did to make. And I was even MORE surprised at how incredible they turned out! This is a terrific recipe! The most simple ingredients, fun to make, and the best part is they turn out just like storebought, but so much better! I'm so excited to try all the different variations that are possible with this recipe. My whole family lovvved them. :D Thanks for sharing!