History

Joshua Pollack opened Rosenberg's Bagels and Delicatessen in 2014 in Five Points, building a water-treatment system that reverse-osmosis-filters and remineralises Denver's hard mountain water to match the soft, slightly acidic profile of Brooklyn's water. The bagels are kettle-boiled in malt-syrup water and baked on burlap-covered boards.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Fish, Egg

Make it at home

Yield 8Hands-on 1 hrTotal 60 hrDifficulty Advanced

Ingredients

  • For the bagel dough: 600g high-protein bread flour (King Arthur or equivalent, 13 percent+ protein)
  • 350ml filtered cold water (use reverse-osmosis if your tap water is hard)
  • 14g instant yeast
  • 2 tbsp barley malt syrup
  • 12g fine salt
  • For the boil: 4L water, 3 tbsp barley malt syrup, 1 tbsp baking soda
  • Toppings: sesame seeds, poppy seeds, everything mix (sesame + poppy + dried garlic + dried onion + coarse salt)
  • For the lox: 500g sushi-grade salmon fillet, skin on, 100g coarse salt, 50g sugar, zest of 1 lemon, 1 tbsp cracked black pepper, 1 small bunch fresh dill
  • To serve: 250g full-fat cream cheese, 1 small red onion thinly sliced, 2 tbsp capers, 1 small jar pickled red onion, 1 lemon in wedges, fresh dill sprigs

Method

  1. Cure the lox 48 hours ahead: mix salt, sugar, lemon zest, and pepper. Cover the salmon fillet completely in the cure, top with dill, wrap tightly, weight with a small plate, and refrigerate 36 hours.
  2. Rinse lox briefly, pat dry. Slice paper-thin on the diagonal off the skin, refrigerate.
  3. Make the bagels: mix all dough ingredients, knead 12 minutes to a very stiff smooth dough; the dough will fight you, this is correct.
  4. Divide into 8 portions (about 125g each). Roll each into a rope, wrap around 4 fingers to form a circle, seal the ends. Place on a floured tray, cover, refrigerate 12 to 24 hours.
  5. Heat oven to 230C. Bring the boil water with malt syrup and baking soda to a rolling boil.
  6. Boil bagels 60 seconds per side. Lift onto a wire rack to drain.
  7. Sprinkle with toppings while wet. Bake on a parchment-lined sheet for 18 to 22 minutes until deep golden.
  8. Cool 10 minutes. Slice in half, slather with cream cheese, drape with lox, top with red onion, capers, and a sprig of dill. Serve with a lemon wedge.

Tip from the editors. The cold overnight retard is non-negotiable for the proper bagel crust and chew; without 12 to 24 hours in the fridge you have a soft bread roll, not a Rosenberg's bagel.

Where to eat rosenberg's bagel and lox

Rosenberg's Bagel and Lox in Denver

Rosenberg's Bagels and Delicatessen ★ 4.4

Jewish deli$$

Rosenbergs Bagels and Delicatessen on East 26th in Five Points is the NYC-style water-boiled bagel shop Denvers mid-Atlantic transplants treat as essential.

Why locals love it: Five Points bagel shop with NYC-style water-boiled bagels, a Denver-corrected New York deli the city's mid-Atlantic transplants treat as essential.

Tip: The everything bagel with house-made lox is the most ordered; the matzoh ball soup runs the lunch trade.

725 E 26th Ave, Denver, CO 80205

Denver Biscuit Company ★ 4.3

BrunchSouthern biscuit-driven brunch$$$10-18Daily 7:00-14:00Walk-in only

Denver Biscuit Company in Denver is the East Colfax Southern brunch counter since 2010, with the Franklin biscuit sandwich and a giant cinnamon-roll biscuit.

Order: The Franklin sandwich and a cinnamon roll biscuit.

3237 E Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80206

Snooze A.M. Eatery ★ 4.3

BrunchBreakfast all day$$$13-22Daily 6:30-14:30Walk-in only

Snooze A.M. Eatery in Denver is Jon Schlegel's modern brunch flagship on Larimer since 2006, with pancake flights, breakfast pot pie and a 90-minute weekend.

Order: Sweet potato pancakes and the pancake flight.

2262 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80205

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