Bagel

For other uses, see Bagel (disambiguation).

Bagel
Sesame bagel
Alternative namesBajgiel, beigel, beygl
TypeBread
Place of originPoland
Region or stateEurope, North America, Israel
Associated cuisineJewish, Polish, American, Canadian, and Israeli
Created byJewish communities of Poland
Serving temperatureRoom temperature
Main ingredientsWheat dough
VariationsMontreal-style bagel, pizza bagel, bagel toast

A bagel (Yiddish: בײגל, romanized: beygl; Polish: bajgiel [ˈbajɡʲɛl] ⓘ; also spelled beigel)[1] is a bread roll originating in the Jewish communities of Poland.[2] Bagels are traditionally made from yeasted wheat dough that is shaped by hand into a torus or ring, briefly boiled in water, and then baked. The result is a dense, chewy, doughy interior with a browned and sometimes crisp exterior.

Bagels are often topped with seeds baked on the outer crust—traditional choices include poppy and sesame seeds—or with salt grains. Different dough types include whole-grain and rye.[3][4] The basic roll-with-a-hole design, hundreds of years old, allows even cooking and baking of the dough; it also allows groups of bagels to be gathered on a string or dowel for handling, transportation, and retail display.[5][6]

The earliest known mention of a boiled-then-baked ring-shaped bread can be found in a 13th-century Syrian cookbook, where they are referred to as ka'ak.[7] Bagel-like bread known as obwarzanek was common earlier in Poland as seen in royal family accounts from 1394.[8] Bagels have been widely associated with Ashkenazi Jews since the 17th century; they were first mentioned in 1610 in Jewish community ordinances in Kraków, Poland.[2]

Bagels are now a popular bread product in North America and Poland, especially in cities with a large Jewish population.[2] Bagels are also sold (fresh or frozen, often in many flavors) in supermarkets.

  1. ^ "Definition: Beigel". Dictionary.com. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c Balinska, Maria (2008-11-03). The Bagel: The Surprising History of a Modest Bread. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-14232-7. Archived from the original on 2023-07-03. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
  3. ^ "Bagel". Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Archived from the original on December 29, 2008. Retrieved February 24, 2009.
  4. ^ Roden, Claudia (1996). The Book of Jewish Food: An Odyssey from Samarkand to New York. Archived from the original on March 18, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  5. ^ Nathan, Joan (12 November 2008). "A Short History of the Bagel: From ancient Egypt to Lender's". Slate. Archived from the original on 25 February 2013. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  6. ^ "History of the Bagel: The Hole Story". Columbia University NYC24 New Media Workshop. Archived from the original on 2011-08-22. Retrieved February 24, 2009.
  7. ^ Perry, Charles (2017). Scents and Flavours (A Bilingual Translation of a 13th Century Syrian Cookbook). NYU Press. pp. xxxiv, 189. ISBN 978-1479856282.
  8. ^ Dembińska, Maria (1999). Food and Drink in Medieval Poland: Rediscovering a Cuisine of the Past. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 0812232240.