Few foods are closer to a New Yorker’s heart than bagels. Like most regionally iconic foods, bagels inspire heated debate over what marks as truly excellent; is it the New York water? Is it generations of know-how? Some mixture of the two?
In future columns, we can iron out the nostalgia and folklore that inspire the water opinion, but for now, it will suffice to say you can make an excellent bagel in at home with whatever potable water you have on hand.
For inspiration, we’re adapting a recipe from Dale Donchey, the founder-owner of Spiller Park Coffee, who makes remarkably good bagels for his pop-up Dear Friend, Bagels. Inspired by both his Jewish heritage and a keen interest in quality sourcing, one of Dale’s most popular offerings, the egg bagel, blends the bagel traditions of Montreal and New York. Dale’s egg bagel belongs to neither city but offers the best of both: It is light and fluffy with a perfect chew.
The dough is simple to throw together, fun to shape, and the results are highly rewarding. Remember rolling play dough into logs as a kid? Same process here. Two notes: Don’t skip the boiling process and be sure to use high-protein bread flour to achieve the pleasant chew that marks a great bagel. Otherwise, you’ll just end up with a roll.
— Adapted from a recipe by Dale Donchey of Spiller Park Coffee and Dear Friend, Bagels.
Chris Wilkins has been a professional baker for 12 years. He is a two-time James Beard Award nominee and the founder and co-owner of Root Baking Co. and Pizza Jeans. Submit your baking questions to bakebetterajc@gmail.com.
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