Today’s Spotlight is on Bagels.

A bagel is a bread roll that’s shaped like a doughnut. It’s made from yeasted wheat dough that’s shaped into a ring, boiled in water, and then baked. Bagels are often served sliced in half, toasted, and spread with butter or cream cheese. 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. The result is a dense, chewy, doughy interior with a browned and sometimes crisp exterior.

Bagels are a traditional Jewish specialty item originating in the Jewish communities of Poland. They were first sold in grocery stores in the 1950s, and frozen bagels were introduced in 1960. Bagels are chewy and low in fat. They contain more protein and sometimes more fiber than donuts.

Bagels are often eaten as breakfast food or snack. They can be topped with:

• Cream cheese
• Lox (smoked salmon)

Non-traditional bagels include:

• Pumpernickel, Rye, Sourdough, Bran, Whole wheat, Multigrain.

 

Bagels differ from bread in a few ways, including:

• Baking method: Bagels are boiled before being baked, while most breads are baked after the dough has risen.
• Texture: Bagels have a chewier inner texture and a crunchy outer layer.
• Density: Bagels are denser than bread.
• Calories: Bagels are higher in calories than bread. For example, a plain white bagel has about 300 calories, while a plain slice of white bread has about 90 calories.
• Dough: Bagel dough is usually made with less water than other doughs, making it stiffer.
• Ingredients: Bagels are made with high protein flour and are often sweetened with honey or malt syrup.
• Boiling: Bagels are boiled or steamed before baking. Boiling gelatinizes the starch on the surface of the dough, giving it a glossy exterior.

 

History

Researchers believe that bagels were created in the 1200s from pretzel dough. German immigrants brought pretzels to Poland, and Jewish Poles adopted the new bread, adding a hole in the middle and calling it obwarzanek.

The first written records of bagels date to 1610 in Kraków, Poland. The community regulations of Kraków dictated that bagels were to be given as a gift to women after childbirth. In medieval Poland, their round shape led to the belief that bagels had magical powers.

The name bagel has a German-Polish origin and comes from the Yiddish word “beygal” meaning “bracelet or ring”. Bagels were one of the only ways Jewish people could legally produce their own breads. They became a popular staple among Poland’s Jews, and with their non-Jewish customers.

Bagels are now a popular bread product in North America and Poland, especially in cities with a large Jewish population.

 

Here are some fun facts about bagels:

• Bagels are the only bread that is boiled before being baked.
• They are dipped in boiling water for approximately 3-5 minutes before going into the oven.
• The hole in the middle of the bagel allows it to have a larger surface area, making it easier to consistently cook the bagel all the way through.
• The name bagel derives from the Yiddish word beygal from the German dialect word beugel, meaning ‘ring’ or ‘bracelet’.
• The most expensive bagel in the world is on the menu of the Westin Hotel in New York and it costs $1000.
• National Bagel Day is celebrated every year on February 9 in America.
• Bagels have made it to space. In June 2008, Canadian-born astronaut Gregory Chamitoff blasted off on a voyage to the International Space Station with 18 sesame bagels as part of his personal cargo allowance.
• Apple had to redo its bagel emoji. After people complained that the plain bagel had nothing on it, it got redesigned with cream cheese during the iOS 12.1 beta 4 cycle release.

 

Here is a Bagel Recipe for you to try:

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) warm water (between 100-110°F, 38-43°C)
• 2 and 3/4 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast*
• 4 cups (520g) bread flour (spoon & leveled), plus more for work surface and hands*
• 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar or packed light or dark brown sugar (or barley malt syrup)*
• 2 teaspoons salt
• coating the bowl: nonstick spray or 2 teaspoons olive oil
• egg wash: 1 egg white beaten with 1 Tablespoon water

For Boiling

• 2 quarts water
• 1/4 cup (60g) honey (or barley malt syrup)

Instructions

1. Prepare the dough: Whisk the warm water and yeast together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
2. Add the flour, brown sugar, and salt. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. The dough is very stiff and will look somewhat dry.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With lightly floured hands, knead the dough for 6-7 minutes. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. If not, keep kneading. The dough is too heavy for the mixer to knead it.
4. Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 60-90 minutes or until doubles in size.
5. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
6. Shape the bagels: When the dough is ready, punch it down to release any air bubbles. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. (Just eyeball it– doesn’t need to be perfect!) Shape each piece into a ball. Press your index finger through the center of each ball to make a hole about 1.5 – 2 inches in diameter. Loosely cover the shaped bagels with kitchen towel and rest for a few minutes as you prepare the water bath.
7. Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).
8. Water bath: Fill a large, wide pot with 2 quarts of water. Whisk in the honey. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-high. Drop bagels in, 2-4 at a time, making sure they have enough room to float around. Cook the bagels for 1 minute on each side.
9. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash on top and around the sides of each bagel. Place 4 bagels onto each lined baking sheet.
10. Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. You want the bagels to be a dark golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow bagels to cool on the baking sheets for 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
11. Slice, toast, top, whatever you want! Cover leftover bagels tightly and store at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
12. Enjoy!

 

Here are some tips for making bagels:

• Don’t over-knead the dough, or the bagels will become dense and tough.
• Use a water bath and egg wash to create a chewy, golden-brown crust.
• Boil the bagels in water with barley malt to create a signature taste, texture, and leathery skin.

 

Consumption

In 2020, 202.07 million Americans ate bagels. The average American eats 38.73 bagels each year. 648 million bagels were eaten at restaurants in the past year.

Almost 61% of Americans surveyed said they eat a bagel at least twice a week for breakfast. 11.21% of restaurants offer bagels on their menus. New York is the nation’s bagel empire for the second year in a row.

 

Celebrating Bagels

National Bagel Day is celebrated on January 15 every year. It was moved from February 9 to avoid competing with pizza. The next best thing would be to eat a Pizza Bagel somewhere in between.

Let us know in the comments what your favorite kind of bagel is and where you get them.