New York City Bagels

New York City bagels are dense, chewy, ring-shaped bread rolls that became the signature breakfast of the city in the early 20th century. The classic method starts with a high-protein flour dough, a small amount of malt or barley syrup for colour and flavour, and a long, cold fermentation that gives the bagel its tight crumb. The defining step is boiling — each bagel is dropped into a kettle of simmering water (often with a spoon of honey or malt) for 30 to 60 seconds a side before baking on wooden boards. This poach sets the crust and is what produces the bagel's glossy, slightly blistered skin and the satisfying chew that distinguishes it from a plain bread roll.

Beyond the method, NYC bagels are famously tied to the city's soft, mineral-rich water supply, and to the Polish, Jewish and Italian bakeries — places like Ess-a-Bagel, H&H Bagels (despite the famous lawsuit, no relation), Russ & Daughters' bagel operations, and the countless corner stores of Brooklyn — that have been hand-rolling and kettle-boiling them since the 1900s. They are split and served warm with a thick schmear of cream cheese, draped with lox and capers, or simply toasted and buttered.