Bagel | Definition, Ingredients, & History (2024)

FAQs

Bagel | Definition, Ingredients, & History? ›

Long regarded as a Jewish specialty item, the bagel is commonly eaten as a breakfast food or snack, often with toppings such as cream cheese and lox (smoked salmon). Bagels are made from the basic bread ingredients of flour, yeast, salt, and sweetening.

Researchers believe the bagel was actually created from pretzel dough sometime around the 1200s. As Germans migrated to Poland, they brought pretzels with them. The Jewish Poles quickly adopted this new bread, put a hole in the middle and dubbed it obwarzanek.

The traditional bagel, born of Eastern European shtetls, was made of yeast, malt, flour, water and salt. It was rolled by hand, first boiled and then baked. Today's version is made from yeast and sugar, flour, water and salt, extruded through machines and baked.

But what sets it apart from other bread is its unique texture and flavor, which comes from its special preparation process. Bagels are first boiled in water (sometimes with malt syrup or honey added) before being baked, resulting in a crisp and shiny crust that encases a dense and chewy interior.

The main difference between typical bread loaves and bagels is the baking method. Most bread types are baked in an oven after the dough has risen, whereas bagels are boiled before being baked in an oven. Compared to other bread types, bagels typically have a chewier inner texture with a crunchy outer layer.

In part, the bagel became largely associated with Jewish culture because boiling bread before toasting it served as a loophole to get around the laws that banned Jews in Poland from baking bread.

Bagels are created in 17th century Poland as a response to anti-Semitic laws preventing Polish Jews from baking bread. Jewish bakers circumvented these restrictions by boiling the dough before baking it.

Bagels and lox is one of the best Jewish deli favorites and usually consists of an open-faced or ring-shaped bread piece known as a bagel that is topped with thinly sliced red onions, cream cheese, briny capers, and lox. A lox bagel is typically eaten for breakfast and includes both a bagel and lox.

Bagels with cream cheese and lox (cured salmon) are considered a traditional part of American Jewish cuisine (colloquially known as "lox and a schmear").

Unfortunately there's no simple answer to this question. In terms of calories, on average one bagel has more calories than one slice of bread. However, if you choose to have a bagel with more fibre, this may help you feel fuller for longer and potentially reduce your snacking throughout the day.

Why are New York bagels different? ›

a regular bagel is a strange step in the cooking process. Traditional New York style bagels are submerged in boiling water for a couple of minutes before they're baked. Sometimes called "water bagels," boiling the dough sets the outside to give them a crispy exterior and chewy texture.

Bagels are the only bread that are boiled before baked

Unlike any other type of bread known to man, bagels are dipped in boiling water for approximately 3-5 minutes before going in the oven to get their golden exterior.

Ever wondered why bagels have holes in the middle? The basic shape is hundreds of years old and serves lots of practical advantages besides an even cooking and baking of the dough. The hole also allowed them to be threaded or piled high on a dowel which made them easier to transport and display.

Boiling bagels give it's distinct chewy and dense texture. It helps it create a thin, slightly crispy texture when you boil it for 30-6o seconds on each side it also contributes to the bagel's shiny appearance. Boiling also prevents over expansion to keep its unique shape.

Bread flour – Because of its high protein content, bread flour makes these homemade bagels delightfully chewy. This recipe also works with all-purpose flour, they're just a bit less chewy than bagels made with bread flour. Maple syrup – It activates the yeast and gives the bagels a hint of sweetness.

A bagel (Yiddish: בײגל, romanized: beygl; Polish: bajgiel; also spelled beigel) is a bread roll originating in the Jewish communities of Poland. Bagels are traditionally made from yeasted wheat dough that is shaped by hand into a torus or ring, briefly boiled in water, and then baked.

Ever wondered why bagels have holes in the middle? The basic shape is hundreds of years old and serves lots of practical advantages besides an even cooking and baking of the dough. The hole also allowed them to be threaded or piled high on a dowel which made them easier to transport and display.

Jerusalem bagels have much in common with regular bagels. Both have a hole in the middle, and both are often covered in sesame seeds, but that's where the similarities end. Unlike the common bagel, Jerusalem bagels are not boiled before baking, so they are tender and fluffy where regular bagels are dense and chewy.