New York bagel
Photo: John Margolies · Public domain

History

Eastern European Jewish bakers, arriving in the Lower East Side in the 1880s, brought the boiled-and-baked bagel from Poland. The Bagel Bakers' Local 338, founded in 1907, kept production hand-rolled and unionised until the 1970s, when Lender's introduced a frozen industrial version. New York's surviving holdouts (H&H from 1972, Russ & Daughters' appetising counter since 1914, Ess-a-Bagel from 1976) hand-roll, boil in barley-malt water, then bake on burlap-lined boards. The everything-bagel seasoning, attributed to David Gussin at Charlie's Bagels in 1980, is the city's most-imitated bake.

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Common allergens: Gluten

Make it at home

Yield 8Hands-on 45 minTotal 14 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 500g high-gluten bread flour
  • 270g cold water
  • 10g fine sea salt
  • 3g instant dry yeast
  • 15g barley malt syrup (or honey)
  • 2L water for boiling
  • 30g barley malt syrup for the boil
  • Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried garlic, dried onion, coarse salt for topping

Method

  1. Mix flour, water, yeast and malt syrup in a stand mixer with dough hook for 4 minutes. Add salt, mix 6 minutes more. The dough should be stiff and pull away clean.
  2. Divide into 8 portions of about 100g each. Roll each into a 25cm rope, then wrap around your hand and seal the ends.
  3. Place on a parchment tray, cover, and cold-retard in the fridge overnight, 12 to 16 hours.
  4. The next morning heat oven to 245C with a baking stone. Bring 2L water to boil with the 30g malt syrup.
  5. Boil the bagels two at a time, 60 seconds per side. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain briefly.
  6. Dip the wet top into your seeds or seasoning. Place on a semolina-dusted peel.
  7. Bake on the stone 14 to 16 minutes until deep golden. Cool 10 minutes before slicing.
  8. Eat the same day. They go stale fast; freeze any leftover bagels within hours.

Tip from the editors. Use a tray of ice cubes on the oven floor for the first 5 minutes; the steam gives the crust its gloss.

Where to eat new york bagel

New York bagel in New York City

Russ & Daughters ★ 4.9

$$ American DinerLower East Side

Russ & Daughters has slung appetising on East Houston in New York City since 1914: hand-sliced smoked salmon, sturgeon, schmaltz herring and bagels to take.

OrderThe Classic: Gaspe Nova lox, cream cheese, tomato, onion, capers on a poppy bagel.

TipThe shop is for take-away. Sit down at Russ & Daughters Cafe around the corner on Orchard for table service.

Directions Book

Ess-a-Bagel ★ 4.6

$ BakeryHand-rolled New York bagelsMidtownWalk-in only

Ess-a-Bagel on Third Avenue has hand-rolled bagels in Midtown New York City since 1976. Boiled in barley malt water, baked on burlap, sold dense and seeded.

Worth the queuePlain everything bagel with scallion cream cheese

TipThe line is 30 minutes at 09:30 weekends. Order over the counter; pre-paid online jumps the line.

Directions Book

Tompkins Square Bagels ★ 4.4

$ BakeryHand-rolled bagelsEast VillageWalk-in only

Tompkins Square Bagels on Avenue A boils bagels at dawn in the East Village, New York City. Eight cream-cheese flavours, hot bagels until they sell out.

Worth the queuePumpernickel everything

TipSells out by 13:00 most weekends. Lunch arrives early; the lox sandwich is built thick.

Directions Book

Black Seed Bagels ★ 4.3

$ BakeryWood-fired hand-rolled bagelsNolita

Black Seed in Nolita bakes Montreal-style honey-water bagels in a wood oven in New York City. Smaller, sweeter, denser than the New York standard.

Worth the queueBeet-cured lox sandwich

TipMobile order is the fastest line. The beet-cured lox sandwich is the cross-style order to share.

Directions Book

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