Bagels arrived in New York with Polish immigrants in the late 19th century—first peddled in street carts on the Lower East Side within the Jewish community, then eventually becoming a beacon of Jewish culture in its new home. Today it’s the ultimate New York breakfast bread and known the world over.
The bagel’s signature crust and chewy texture come from boiling the dough rings briefly in a water bath (traditionally with lye or malt extract, but dark brown sugar is subbed here for ease), before baking in the oven. Some locals say its trademark flavour comes from New York City water—one reason why it’s rare to find a true copy anywhere else.
The “everything bagel”—coated in salt, dried onion, dried garlic, poppy seeds and sesame seeds (a combination of all the singular classics)—first appeared in the 1970s, and is now synonymous with New York, too.
This everything bagel recipe is an extract from EAT NYC by Yasmin Newman (Smith Street Books)
