Food Lens · Bakery
Bagels
Chewy and dense with a slightly tangy, yeasty flavor and a glossy, crackly crust.
Lens analyzedBagels are a dense, chewy bread ring made by boiling the dough briefly before baking, which gives them their shiny crust and springy interior. They're commonly split and toasted, then topped with spreads or built into sandwiches.
Where it comes from
Bagels trace back to Jewish communities in Central and Eastern Europe, and became strongly associated with New York City delis after waves of immigration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries brought the boil-then-bake technique to North America.
Buying it
Fresh bagels should feel firm with a slight give and a shiny, not dull, crust. Bakery bagels bought same-day taste noticeably different from the softer, pre-sliced grocery-aisle kind.
Storing it
Keep them at room temperature in a paper or loosely closed bag for the first few days, since sealed plastic can make the crust turn soft and chewy in the wrong way. Freeze extra bagels, sliced, if you won't finish the bag within about five days.
Keeps about 5 days in the pantry.
Recipes that use bagels
More bakery
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