The perfect New York bagel is art. Shiny and slightly crunchy on the outside. Dense and just chewy enough for a satisfying mouth feel. But not so chewy that excess jaw power is required. Truly magnificent bagels need not be toasted, as it will sacrifice the texture and flavor. Add a schmear of cream cheese or a bacon, egg, cheese combo, and you’ve got a cheap and filling meal that’s next level delicious.
What makes New York bagels so special?
Some says there’s something in the water. New York water is soft, meaning it has low concentrates of magnesium and calcium. This softens the gluten in the dough, which translates to softer, chewier bagels. (Click HERE for a cool look into New York water). However, a blind taste test by America’s Test Kitchen used the same recipe and methods with different types of water, and found no taste difference.
Others say what makes New York bagels special is the preparation method. Great bagels are left to proof in a refrigerator for up to two days. This slows down the fermentation process, which allows microbes to generate more flavor compounds. Then, the bagel is boiled, which is like searing a steak. The moisture is locked in and the crust thickens up.
Bagel shops in New York have been perfecting their dough and process for generations, which is what makes New York bagels superior.
But how did bagels even come to be? I dove into the history of New York bagels to find out.
Like all food history, it’s hard to know for sure. (Learning about the History of Pie was particularly infuriating). But let’s look at the two most commonly cited stories.
Story 1:
The history of New York bagels begins in Poland in 1496, when King John Albert made a decree stating that only members of the Krakow Bakers Guild could make white bread. Bread was tightly connected with Christianity, and Jews were seen as enemies to the Church. Thus, this decree effectively banned Jewish people from baking, and was part of a larger movement to oust the Jewish population from Poland.
Fast forward to the 17th century. Poland was ruled by King Sobeiski, and he was he first leader to ignore this decree, meaning Jewish bakeries could open and thrive. During this time, Sobieski saved Austria from Turkish invaders during the 1683 battle of Vienna. A baker crafted a roll in the shape of the king’s stirrup, and called it a beugal. Voila! The bagel is born!
Story 2:
Not so fast! The history of New York bagels actually begins with the Germans, who were migrating into Poland in the 14th century. They brought pretzels with them, which morphed into a round roll with a hole, which became known as obwarzanek. They exploded in popularity when Queen Jadwiga ate obwarzanek over fancy pastries for Lent. Round rolls with holes took off from there.
From Europe to New York
The history of New York bagels continues in the 19th century, when Eastern European Jewish families began immigrating to the city. They set up bakeries, most on the Lower East Side, and wasted no time baking up bagels.
While popular, bagels didn’t really take off until 1958 with the invention of a bagel-rolling machine by The Thompson Bagel Manufacturing Corporation. They partnered with the Connecticut powerhouse Lender’s Bagels to mass produce bagels that could be frozen and shipped across the nation.
New York bagel snobs like myself will gasp in dismay to discover who the villain is for ruining bagels. Everyone outside of New York City can rejoice the hero that made bagels accessible to all pockets of the United States.
Bagels have been a beloved staple every since.
Wrapping the History of New York Bagels Up…
The history of New York bagels is a bit murky. Most sources learn towards bagels descending from German Pretzels, although story one is a bit more dramatic and fun. It’s also very possible that both have some validity. White bread with a hole in the middle isn’t too outrageous to think up, after all.
Regardless of the exact origins, we do know that bagels made their way to New York City with Jewish immigrants. And the rest is history!
Sources:
www.businessinsider.com/history-of-the-bagel-2016-2
www.mashed.com/150118/the-untold-truth-of-new-york-bagels/
www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2009/03/the-secret-history-of-bagels/6928/
www.6sqft.com/the-new-york-bagel-the-hole-story-from-history-and-chemistry-to-where-youll-find-the-good-ones/
