A bagel has a hole so it cooks evenly, is easy to string and carry, and is part of the traditional shape.
Practical reasons
- Even cooking: the hole lets heat reach the center.
- Easy to string and carry on a pole for sale.
- Easy to stack and display.
History
Bagels arose in the Jewish community in Krakow, Poland, in the 1600s. The first written mention is from 1610.
Process
Bagels are boiled before baking, which gives their chewy crust.
Today
Holes help maintain the shape when boiled.
Production facts
Bagels are made from yeast dough that is boiled briefly in water, often with malt or honey, then baked. The boiling gelatinizes the surface starch and produces the chewy crust. The hole lets heat reach the center for even cooking and shortens the time needed to boil and bake.
- Bagels are first documented in Krakow, Poland, in 1610, where community regulations mentioned them.
- Jewish immigrants brought them to New York in the late 19th century. The Bagel Bakers Local 338 union controlled production in early 1900s New York.
- Machine production in the 1960s, such as Daniel Thompson’s bagel-forming machine, expanded sales.
Practical uses
The hole makes bagels easier to carry on poles or strings, as vendors sold them. It also helps the dough’s shape hold and gives a larger crust area. A plain bagel has around 270 to 300 calories and 55 g of carbohydrate for a typical 4-inch bagel in the US, which is much bigger than older sizes. Water quality is often cited in New York bagel lore, though evidence is anecdotal.
Production facts
Bagels have a hole so they cook evenly during boiling and baking, and the hole helped bakers hang them on dowels. The dough is boiled for about 30 to 60 seconds before baking, which gives the chewy crust. Bagels were documented among Jewish communities in Krakow in 1610.
Practical uses
The hole also made bagels easier to carry on strings. Today New York style bagels are known for their water. Typical bagel has about 270 to 300 calories.
History
Bagels were first documented in Krakow, Poland, in a 1610 community regulation that mentioned giving bagels as gifts to women in childbirth. Jewish immigrants brought them to New York in the late 1800s. The hole helps heat distribution, shape and the ability to string them for sale.
How bagels are made
Dough has high gluten flour, about 11 to 14 percent protein, with malt and yeast. Boiling gelatinizes starches on the surface, producing a glossy crust. Industrial bagels are often steamed instead of boiled. Bagel sales exceed 3 billion USD in the US yearly, and the average bagel is about 5 ounces with 350 calories at modern sizes.
Based on data from the Encyclopaedia Britannica and food industry sources
