That makes it difficult to cook all the way through, and that hole actually adds more surface area and helps it cook more evenly. Yes. When you first get your bagel, that hole in the middle represents a finite space in the center of the circle. Highly impractical? When Jews emigrated from Poland to North America, bagels went with them. According to The Bagel Bakery, there's a very practical reason that hole has stayed in bagels for centuries. She says that the Germans brought traditional pretzels with them, that then turned into a more rounded roll with a hole in the center. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The origin of the hole in the bagel will most likely remain one of those unknowable food mysteries. Montreal bakers tend to make their bagels a little different they add honey to the water before boiling to make a sweeter bread, they shape them to have large holes, and they also bake them in a wood-burning oven. The outside crust is one of the most defining, and amazing attributes of a bagel, so having a bit more of it is sure to make anyones morning better! I was raised a Unitarian, and at literally every church Ive been to, theyve offered yummy bagels after the service to help fundraise and feed their community. But difficult? He repelled the Turks, says Britannica, and as thanks, a Viennese baker created a type of bread in his honor. Holes are one of the things that set bagels aside from other types of bread. It seems like something of a waste, and that putting more bagel in there would be the way to go. Even though bagels might not be used for deli decor the way they used to, theres no hiding it it just wouldnt be called a bagel without having a hole in the center. This one comes from central and eastern Europe as well, and the story goes that in 1683, Jan Sobieski led a massive army against Turkish forces advancing on Vienna. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Its National Bagel Day! So, is there such a thing as a bagel without a hole? From creating a career out of making bagels, I've learned Ive had a lot of guests at the Bagel Bakery ask me, Why does a bagel have a hole in the middle? They wonder if the hole has an actual purpose, or if it is just one of those things thats there for no reason. Once you have real, fresh bagels out of an actual bakery, those bagels in the store just won't cut it. While this reason may be the most logical, it's still fun to consider the other theories. Its International Coffee Day: Celebrate With the Bagel Bakery! This time, tradition is both practical and delicious, too. We create our signature crust by boiling the bagel for 30-60 seconds before baking it, because if theres no boil, theres no real bagel. A touch of Polish and Jewish history is necessary to explain this one A shtetl, they say, is exactly what the Yiddish words translates as: "little town." For a long time, they were pretty exclusive to Jewish communities, but here's a weird footnote to the already strange history of putting holes in bagels: Not all bagel holes are created equal. According to Aish, those larger-than-normal holes can be seen in one other place: Jerusalem. Anyone who has ever tried to make their own bagels knows that the dough is very, very thick and very heavy. According to My Jewish Learning, the word "bagel" means "bracelet" in German, and that's a clear reference to the shape of this chewy, delightful delicacy. But historian and author Maria Balinska spoke with The New York Times and debunked that theory, saying that the holes definitely predate this tradition. Even earlier than that, old records kept in Poland revealed that the bagel itself was prized for its round shape, which reportedly symbolized a long life. If they flew over the bay, they would be bagels! According to Dianna Daoheung, the executive chef and head baker of New York City's Black Seed Bagels (which has become one of New York City's most famed bagel shops), one theory posits that in the 1600s, a Polish baker invented bagelsfor a queen on the occasion of her son's birth; he modeled them after the many bracelets and bangles she wore. As for questioning their holes, it turns out theres a really interesting story behind them. Brilliant and simple, right? In fact, according to The New York Times, even up until the '70s, most bagels were still distributed to American delis and supermarkets on rope or string. The hole in the middle of the bagel allows it to have a larger surface area, making it easier to consistently cook the bagel all the way through. So if youre itching for either a breakfast or lunch plan, you might as well consider the bagel. Another reason for bagel shapes to have holes in them is because, in ancient times, vendors used to carry the bagel on dowels for more accessible transportation and selling. According to Maria Balinska, historian and author of The Bagel: the Surprising History of a Modest Bread (via The Atlantic), there's one theory about the origins of bagels as we know it that suggests they came from 14th century German immigrants moving to Poland. Maria Balinska, historian and author of The Bagel: the Surprising History of a Modest Bread (via The Atlantic), says that was the beugel. Try it and find out. You dont see many rolls with holes, and thered be a big problem with condiments if sandwich bread included them. Not only did they introduce me to the world of cream cheese, but they were typically a rarity when I was very young. That said, I never actually looked at the history of the bagels, why they have holes, or what they really brought to the bread family. What's with that hole, anyway? Bagel vendors had to have a license, and even though children would occasionally sell bagels to help support their families, it would earn them a beating if they were caught by law enforcement. Bagels. Bagels were an important part of my childhood. It turns out that it's not just one of those things that has hung around forever just because of tradition. One less-wild theory is that the hole is there in order to make transporting and selling them easier. Adding the hole in the middle might seem like the most intimidating part, but there's such an easy way to do it, you'll start to wonder why you haven't made your own bagels more often. I've had a lot of guests at the Bagel Bakery ask me, "Why does a bagel have a hole in the middle?" They wonder if the hole has an actual purpose, or if it is just one of those things that's there for no reason. Hence, the bagel was born. Here are some more bagel photos, just to inspire you to eat one today. Most of these communities were filled with religious figures, scholars, and artisans, and their streets were also filled with vendors selling bagels. Lets Celebrate! The history of the bagel and its hole is pretty incredible, but it's not just about history. Like a lot of things in history, it's not 100 percent clear-cut as to exactly when these holey rolls started popping up in a form we'd recognize as bagels, and there's another story as to exactly when they were first made and how they got their name. Time consuming? Why did the bagel lose the election? Some of them are more viable than others, and a couple theories are downright wild. Their unique shape was also thought to protect against the evil eye, and to bring good luck; that was especially true when it came to births, and they were commonly given to women in labor. Hence, having holes made this kind of transaction easier. Here is a list of some of our favorite puns: What kind of bagel can fly? Ever try cheese and tomato on a bagel before? It would make pizza bagels easier, for sure, along with bagel breakfast sandwiches and, well, pretty much all things bagel. In fact, according to The New York Times, even up until the '70s, most bagels were still distributed to American delis and supermarkets on rope or string. Anyone who has ever tried to make their own bagels knows that the dough is very, very thick and very heavy. There are quite a few explanations out there for the hole in the middle of a bagel, one of those foods that you absolutely need to try when in New York City. The crowd will love you! Maybe the hole makes all the difference. Bagels are also boiled for around a minute before baking, and hence, get more cooking time. No. They always tasted special, and were a real treat when my parents agreed to let me grab one. Craving even more delicious recipes. They only contain a few ingredients, but they're fairly complicated to make. Maybe, but there's some incredible history behind that hole. There are two types of bagels that have a much, much larger hole than the more traditional bagels, and really only started gaining in widespread popularity in the 1960s. It was a common belief that their circular, never-ending shape symbolized the equally never-ending circle of life and death. In the past, vendors threaded the circular breads onto dowels to hawk them on street corners. This is important because bagel dough can be incredibly thick, which would make it difficult to know if the center was cooked completely if the hole was not there. Its International Coffee Day: Celebrate With the Bagel Bakery. These days, its a good thing that bagels still have holes, as it makes them even more convenient to grab as a quick and delicious breakfast on the go. And part of their appeal was the fact that . How do you hold a bagel back? During the 19th and 20th centuries, the shtetls of Russia and Poland were small towns where Jews lived in the center, and Gentiles lived on the outskirts. Once it's risen, poke your thumb through the center, put two fingers inside, and gently stretch it out. We dont know, but we sure do love it. At the same time German immigrants were settling in Poland, Jewish immigrants were settling there, too. He was the victim of a schmear campaign. Bet you had no idea there was so much to the story of the bagel hole, did you? Its possible that while creating the bagel to be a circle, the hole was inevitable. What does a bagel do when it is locked out of its house. The Atlantic called it the "bagel's lesser-known cousin," and that's pretty accurate. No one wants an underdone bagel. Or, was it? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Here is a list of some of our favorite puns: If they flew over the bay, they would be bagels! And, there's one other massive difference between the two: A bialy isn't boiled before it's baked. Keep in mind that the hole is going to shrink as the dough relaxes, so stretching a 2-inch hole in the center will leave you with a 1-inch hole for your finished product. Rumors started to spread that Jewish bakers were poisoning their bread, and that Christians shouldn't buy bread made by a Jew. The Daily Meal writes that the key difference with a bagel is that they were often sold as street food. In the past, vendors threaded the circular breads onto dowels to hawk them on street corners. The dough was baked in the shape of a circle designed to look like a stirrup and then was named after the German word for stirrup. A plain bagel. Balinska also adds something neat to the question of just what the hole means. Lets Celebrate! It was a huge step, but the Church wasn't as keen on the announcement as the more secular world was. The history of the bagel and its hole is pretty incredible, but it's not just about history. The crust of a bialy is traditionally a little more crusty than shiny, but it does tend to have the same chewiness that a bagel does. History is a funny thing, and can sometimes call for a little bit of detective work especially when it comes to tracing the roots of cultural treasures like bagels. You know, in the days before strict rules and regulations when it comes to food packaging and handling. The Atlantic reveals that the bagel likely originated in Poland and was known as aobwarzanek, and was enjoyed by royalty likeQueen Jadwiga prior to sealing a spot among the worlds best street foods. There, you can still find bagels hanging from long wooden sticks in bakeries, just like they used to in the Old Country. Absolutely, and it's called a bialy. Become the life of the next party you attend by sharing these with your friends. They say that the bagel may have had its roots elsewhere, but it really became popular in the Polish shtetl. It was no joke, either. the most iconic breakfast foods in the United States. She chose to eat obwarzanekrather than rich pastries during Lent, helping to secure their popularity as a mainstream sort of bread. It also makes it easier for bakers to confirm their bagels are cooked all the way through, and that's important. Also, this larger surface area allows the bagel to have even more of the chewy crust that we all love so much. They're completely unlike most other types of bread: chewy on the inside, chewier on the outside, boiled and baked to perfection, and, of course, sporting that hole in the middle. According to Dr. Yvette Alt Miller (via Aish), it was also a time when Jews weren't allowed to make bread, as it was seen as a holy Christian food. They were called obwarzanek,and they got a huge boost in popularity thanks to Queen Jadwiga, a massively powerful Polish monarch who not only shifted the balance of power in 14th century Europe (via Britannica) but who was also canonized by Pope John Paul II. They also say that the hole allows the bagel to have more of that distinctive, chewy crust that makes a bagel, well, a bagel. Bagels were once sold by vendors who would thread them on long poles and carry them through the streets that way, and that's given rise to the belief that the holes were there to make it easier for vendors to carry. Who would have thought something that philosophical would come out of a bagel? There might be a lot of steps, but you only need four ingredients, according to King Arthur Flour: flour, water, salt, and yeast. The 101 Most Iconic Restaurant Dishes in America. More than that, there's some very cool mythology, too tales told about just why a bagel is shaped like it is. Fast forward a bit, and you'll find a new ruling Polish Jews won the right to make bread as long as it was boiled, not baked. But, that said, anything you can do with a bagel, you can do with a bialy. Bagels have always been associated with central and eastern Europe, and particularly, with those of the Jewish faith. Why do seagulls fly over the sea? Instead of the hole in the center, there's an indentation that helps to keep all the toppings in place. Limited-time offer! You don't see many rolls with holes, and there'd be a big problem with condiments if sandwich bread included them. And part of their appeal was the fact that they were often stringed up on display. Plus, now that you know the history, the choice may make you feel like royalty. This type of arrangement was actually common in delis until the 70s, even though these days, you probably see them displayed at grocery stores in bins to help keep them fresh. The bread wasn't baked in any traditional shape, and instead, the baker decided to pay tribute to his savior-king's love of horses. It's believed by some that this tradition is where the name "bagel" came from, citing a likelihood it came from the Yiddish word beigen, or "to bend". Because, as we all know, bagels go beyond breakfast. Sure, there's a very practical reason for it, too, but that's just a small part of what makes a bagel a bagel. In 2011, Time called the commercialization of the bagel "a symbol of assimilation at any cost.". It wasn't until 1264 that the Polish Prince Boleslaw the Pious rescinded the laws, and declared that Jews would be allowed to "buy and sell and touch bread just like Christians". That makes it difficult to cook all . One less-wild theory is that the hole is there in order to make transporting and selling them easier. Its a gamechanger. From creating a career out of making bagels, Ive learned its actually a combination of a few different things. Depending on where you live, it might be hard to find really good bagels, but there's good news: You can make them at home, and it's not even that difficult. And there is a huge difference between these old-school bagels and the new bagels: While those holes used to be formed by hand, that's not usually the case anymore with most mass-produced, machine-rolled bagels. According to The Bagel Bakery, there's a very practical reason that hole has stayed in bagels for centuries. Spread them with butter, with cream cheese, add some lox, or make pizza bialys just remember that if you want to be traditional about it, don't slice it. The history of the bagel is fascinating. The Real Reason There Are Holes In The Middle Of Bagels. But is it better? Having a bagel sandwich for lunch is pretty fantastic. You put lox on it. Bagels were more than just bread, too. But regardless of their origin, bagels (holes and all) are one of the most iconic breakfast foods in the United States. The Daily Meal writes that the key difference with a bagel is that they were often sold as street food. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Its National Bagel Day! Why are bagels the subject of so many jokes? Ive mentioned this before, but it bears repeating. The goal was to differentiate it from Christian-baked bread, so Jewish bakers developed the distinctive, unmistakable, round bread with a hole in the center. She says that well into the 1970s, bakers in New York City would thread their bagels onto ropes in order to deliver them to delis and markets around the city. You don't need to, as the crust is much easier to chew than that of a bagel. 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