Anyone who has ever tried to make their own bagels knows that the dough is very, very thick and very heavy. The Daily Meal writes that the key difference with a bagel is that they were often sold as street food. 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. Why did the bagel lose the election? 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. 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. 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. Instead of the hole in the center, there's an indentation that helps to keep all the toppings in place. Hence, the bagel was born. 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. From creating a career out of making bagels, Ive learned its actually a combination of a few different things. Anyone who has ever tried to make their own bagels knows that the dough is very, very thick and very heavy. 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 seems like something of a waste, and that putting more bagel in there would be the way to go. 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. 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. At the same time German immigrants were settling in Poland, Jewish immigrants were settling there, too. Or, was it? Plus, now that you know the history, the choice may make you feel like royalty. 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. And part of their appeal was the fact that they were often stringed up on display. They say that the bagel may have had its roots elsewhere, but it really became popular in the Polish shtetl. 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. If they flew over the bay, they would be bagels! One less-wild theory is that the hole is there in order to make transporting and selling them easier. 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. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Its National Bagel Day! Highly impractical? 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Its National Bagel Day! So if youre itching for either a breakfast or lunch plan, you might as well consider the bagel. 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. Also, this larger surface area allows the bagel to have even more of the chewy crust that we all love so much. 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. Why do seagulls fly over the sea? 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. Holes are one of the things that set bagels aside from other types of bread. They always tasted special, and were a real treat when my parents agreed to let me grab one. There, you can still find bagels hanging from long wooden sticks in bakeries, just like they used to in the Old Country. 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. Once you have real, fresh bagels out of an actual bakery, those bagels in the store just won't cut it. How do you hold a bagel back? What does a bagel do when it is locked out of its house. 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. The Atlantic called it the "bagel's lesser-known cousin," and that's pretty accurate. You put lox on it. Bet you had no idea there was so much to the story of the bagel hole, did you? She chose to eat obwarzanekrather than rich pastries during Lent, helping to secure their popularity as a mainstream sort of bread. More than that, there's some very cool mythology, too tales told about just why a bagel is shaped like it is. The history of the bagel and its hole is pretty incredible, but it's not just about history. 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. According to The Bagel Bakery, there's a very practical reason that hole has stayed in bagels for centuries. Because, as we all know, bagels go beyond breakfast. 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. 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. Bagels. Craving even more delicious recipes. 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. It would make pizza bagels easier, for sure, along with bagel breakfast sandwiches and, well, pretty much all things 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." Its International Coffee Day: Celebrate With the Bagel Bakery! 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. 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. This time, tradition is both practical and delicious, too. Rumors started to spread that Jewish bakers were poisoning their bread, and that Christians shouldn't buy bread made by a Jew. Lets Celebrate! the most iconic breakfast foods in the United States. Ive mentioned this before, but it bears repeating. 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. 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. Its possible that while creating the bagel to be a circle, the hole was inevitable. Not only did they introduce me to the world of cream cheese, but they were typically a rarity when I was very young. 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. When you first get your bagel, that hole in the middle represents a finite space in the center of the circle. Most of these communities were filled with religious figures, scholars, and artisans, and their streets were also filled with vendors selling bagels. Its International Coffee Day: Celebrate With the Bagel Bakery. While this reason may be the most logical, it's still fun to consider the other theories. 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. 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. But difficult? Bagels were an important part of my childhood. Bagels were more than just bread, too. But is it better? He was the victim of a schmear campaign. Become the life of the next party you attend by sharing these with your friends. According to The Bagel Bakery, there's a very practical reason that hole has stayed in bagels for centuries. 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. Holes are one of the things that set bagels aside from other types of bread. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. We dont know, but we sure do love it. Lets Celebrate! 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". Its a gamechanger. Maybe, but there's some incredible history behind that hole. A plain bagel. It was a huge step, but the Church wasn't as keen on the announcement as the more secular world was. 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. 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. Here are some more bagel photos, just to inspire you to eat one today.

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